| 1.5.16 01:28 | 
 |  Help - Ground Zero (Minneapolis, MN) |
| 1.5.16 01:14 |  | Help help
I'm in a cab
Gong to Ground Zero
I've never been to Ground Zero
Nobody will tell me what Ground Zero is
Help |
| 30.4.16 22:01 |  | #longreads
I mean, I knew going in that this event would have too many pinball players and not enough pinball machines, I KNEW that, but I went anyway. Surly is less than 10 minutes of brisk walking from the house and I needed to walk. Waiting in line, ten bucks to get in, I decided to enter the tourney, another ten bucks, another line. I think I watched other people play the "Ghostbusters" pinball machine for like an hour. So I'd invested twenty bucks into the afternoon without even buying a beer and I'd played a grand total of one game of pinball. I wasn't worst of my foursome, so there was that, but third wasn't much to be crowing about either. I wasn't up for standing in line for the other machines. I went onto the deck and looked over at my neighborhood's water tower; the view was spectacular. But I was bored. I couldn't believe they had a DJ named "Mr. DJ." The inflatable Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man promised had not lived up to the vision in my head and besides, he was hidden behind Mr. DJ. The Ecto-1 replicas were cool but they were far from the hall. I decided to go outside and look at them; then I decided to go home and bring back the book I've been reading off and on (Sheila E's biography...which, in my defense, I'd started while Prince was still with us) while I waited to see if I'd get my second chance at a tourney score.
At this point, Mr. DJ said it was time for the 1980s NAME THAT TUNE game, and there were prizes and you could win a hundred bucks. I decided to stop reading and was the first volunteer, knowing that folks tend not to want to go first so it'd be the best time to lock in as a contestant. The guy who had spent the better part of my initial hour of waiting trying to engage me in conversation on practically anything ended up facing me as we took turns lowering the amount of seconds we'd need to Name That Culture Club Tune. He flinched after I said "3 seconds" and I was able to identify "Karma Chameleon." I got my prize of a red Surly T in my size and waited for the other seven seats to fill.
About half the time, the clue was enough to get you the answer in zero seconds, but the rules were you couldn't go lower than one second. And if you DID bid one second, the other guy had a chance to name it without listening or force you to try in one second. My competition in the second round was the guy I thought I'd meet in the finals but when nobody volunteered to take a question in the category of "Genesis," Mr. DJ selected both of us. I got the opening bid and I was lucky, because the clue was super obvious - this Phill (they misspelled PHIL, are you kidding me) Collins solo hit was a remake of a Motown something something super obvious it was definitely "You Can't Hurry Love," and I knew it and he knew it. But I got to bid first, like I said, so I said "I can name that tune in two seconds," he had no choice but to say "I can name it in one" and then I correctly guessed "You Can't Hurry Love" without him having a chance. I felt bad for him, but not bad enough to keep from playing the game.
Down to four people and I volunteered for category "Wham" - again, the clue (lyrics) made it a no-brainer that it was "Father Figure," so I bid two seconds. My opponent thought I was bluffing and gave me the two seconds. It was a relief when it really WAS "Father Figure" playing for two seconds.
So in the finals, with me and a guy who'd really backdoored his way in, the category was "MTV Hits" and the clue was pretty vague - it was a Duran Duran hit but not enough to tell me which one. We went back and forth and I didn't want to put it in his hands, so I kept limboing lower and he finally dared me to Name That Tune in 3 seconds. I could have gotten it in one after I heard a very distinctive laugh - it was "Hungry Like The Wolf" and I'd won!
For winning overall, I received a $30 Target gift card and a "20 play" pinball card (probable value: $20?), so between that and the shirt I was definitely on the plus side for the day...but now we came to the BONUS ROUND.
All I had to do - and I say this as if it were nothing, but it was pretty much designed to be impossible - all I had to do was identify ten songs by title in 60 seconds of song play. I was given three lifelines: a pass, a "poll the audience" and a "name the artist."
I fell behind pretty quickly - math tells me I have to average six seconds a song to get to ten without missing one, but I took a long time on one I absolutely would not have gotten in time on my own, to give the CROWD time to figure it out for me - when I polled them, a guy (who I still owe a beer) helped me out big-time with "You're a Friend of Mine" by Clarence Clemons & Jackson Brown. "The big man's in heaven," he reminded me. I definitely agreed.
I used another lifeline after spending too much time on a slow song I KNEW I knew, but kept waiting for some lyrics to help me out. They didn't help, but after I was told it was Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, I nailed "All Cried Out."
What were the other ones? Some, thankfully, came within 1 or 2 seconds to bring me back in line:
I'll always know the distinctive drum pattern that starts "Rosanna."
Same for "Let's Hear it For the Boy," if you can believe that.
"Keep On Loving You" had already been played once, so it was weird that I got it again, but I took it.
By this time I was starting to build up a lot of adrenaline because this looked like something I might actually be able to accomplish. "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" was a welcome "easy" one.
Sadly, it became a bit of a blur and looking back now, I can't remember three of the other ones - but I definitely remember the last one, #10. I had recovered, was making good time and still had 11 seconds left of my 60 to work with. I could also still pass if I wanted. I heard the sounds of The Romantics and my heart beat even faster as I fast forwarded in my head to the chorus: "I hear the secrets that you keep / when you're talking in your sleep." Shit, was it called "Secrets That You Keep" or "Talking In Your Sleep?" Shit, how many seconds had just passed? Should I pass and go with the unknown? No, I'm pretty sure it's "Talking In Your Sleep." I don't think I can risk it. I said it. It appeared on the screen. I'D DONE IT!
They actually handed me a new hundy on the spot - none of this gift card nonsense. Mr. DJ told me he hadn't seen anybody actually win the thing before. For a moment I hoped I wasn't taking cash out of his pocket. I got over that sentiment pretty quickly. I think I yelled pretty loudly. There was applause and everybody seemed genuinely happy that I'd managed to pull it off.
I WAS AWESOME AND THERE WERE WITNESSES.
Later, I played the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles machine... and finished fourth out of four, of course. I'd love to say the leftover adrenaline was a cause but the truth is I was pretty awful at that game.
Krista reminded me that I have a distinctive look and everybody in the room knew I had a Franklin in my pocket.
I told her I was a fast walker. |
| 30.4.16 20:46 |  | Can of Diet Dr Pepper Cherry |
| 30.4.16 20:32 |  | From Surly - "0.58 miles" |
| 30.4.16 20:23 | 
 | Bonus weekend long jam with fun f-bombs for our pleasure!
CRZ-121X
Black Grape
Fat Neck (Live)
1995
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkDt-D3ZvXo |
| 30.4.16 20:01 |  |  | HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS |
(Surly Brewing Company) |
| 30.4.16 18:40 | | From Surly and back - "1.23 miles" |
| 30.4.16 16:04 |
|  In line for a line - Surly Brewing Company (Minneapolis, MN) |
| 30.4.16 15:57 |
|  Spire Credit Union (Minneapolis, MN) |
| 30.4.16 15:52 | | To Surly - "0.64 miles" |
| 30.4.16 14:23 |
| Lazy weekend, lazy awesome song choice
CRZ-121
The Stone Roses
Fools Gold
1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBsazIACpYM |
| 30.4.16 13:41 |  | Decaf |
| 30.4.16 13:39 | | RT : Something special in the works from / fDeluxe to honor Prince. Check back 7 hours and 13 days from his passing.… |
| 30.4.16 12:17 | | WAY TO GO !! |
| 30.4.16 11:47 | | French Roast |
| 30.4.16 10:46 | | I woke up to a notification on my Pebble watch that K la had sent me a message telling me that in one of my recently posted photos, my "barn door was open." As I tried to rack my brain figuring out just when and how and in which pants such a photo could have possibly taken place, while also wondering if any of my other friends had also taken similar note, except via public photo comment (with me immediately singling out Rich as the likeliest first offender) and ALSO wondering if I was really going to feel humiliated or if it would be a photo I could just make my own joke about and leave online forever...somewhere around that time I FINALLY realised that I hadn't really woken up and this was just another weirdo yet somehow completely plausible dream... because now I'm even dreaming about you as formless Facebook entity contacts instead of real peoples, I guess? But, you know, good lookin' out and all that. Looks like I'm done sleeping in for now. :) |
| 30.4.16 03:29 | 
 | Listened to Giorgio Moroder - Spanish Disaster |
| 30.4.16 03:19 |
|  Can't hardly wait - Cub Foods (Minneapolis, MN) |
| 30.4.16 03:15 |
 | Listened to Autechre - Naftwa4 |
| 30.4.16 03:12 |
| Listened to Stump - Queen and the Pope |
| 30.4.16 03:09 |
| Listened to Tartu Popi ja Roki Instituut - Merend Tutti Unenägu |
| 30.4.16 01:29 |
| Listened to Soft Cell - Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love go? |
| 30.4.16 01:22 |
| Listened to Kristine W. - Feel What You Want (Our Tribe vocal 12" mix) |
| 29.4.16 22:07 |
| Hey DJ - Eagles Club #34 (Minneapolis, MN) |
| 29.4.16 22:01 |
| Listened to Way Out West - The Gift |
| 29.4.16 21:54 |
 | Listened to The Orb - Jam on your Honey |
| 29.4.16 21:47 |
| Listened to Giorgio Moroder - Underdog |
| 29.4.16 21:34 |
| Listened to Sarah McLachlan - Elsewhere |
| 29.4.16 21:29 |
| Listened to Sly & The Family Stone - I Want To Take You Higher (Single Version) |
| 29.4.16 21:26 |
| Listened to Metales M5 - Contrapunctus No. 3 de "El Arte de la Fuga" BWV 1080 |
| 29.4.16 21:21 |
| Listened to Airfix - Stirfry (Original Mix) |
| 29.4.16 21:16 |
| Listened to Birthday Suits - Cherry Blue |
| 29.4.16 20:22 | | RT : MY BATHROOM is gender neutral, but I don’t think anyone is going to like going in there. |
| 29.4.16 19:56 |
| Listened to ABC - Love Conquers All |
| 29.4.16 19:51 |
| Listened to Ren & Stimpy - The Whistler / Overture |
| 29.4.16 19:50 |
| Listened to The Egg - Time to Enjoy |
| 29.4.16 19:39 |
| Got a streak going! I dethroned as the Mayor of on !
https://www.swarmapp.com/crz/checkin/5723fe9e498ea633d6de949a?s=gaoqWfaQIlwM9RBuP6vLzqPWJ5I https://pic.twitter.com/S8GRlEMrnH |
| 29.4.16 19:38 |
 |   Pop check - World Market (Roseville, MN) |
| 29.4.16 19:37 |
| Listened to The Doors - Get Up and Dance |
| 29.4.16 19:27 |
| Ohhh I just dethroned Kay as the Mayor of on !
https://www.swarmapp.com/crz/checkin/5723fbe8498edc1752548aea?s=XOAaf9sEVRqTMJRZ8V8tdNgrtQQ https://pic.twitter.com/4p1aigwL5u |
| 29.4.16 19:27 |
| Got an idea - Dollar Tree (Roseville, MN) |
| 29.4.16 19:24 |
| Listened to Big Audio Dynamite II - Rush |
| 29.4.16 19:21 |
 | Listened to Prince - Can't Stop This Feeling I Got |
| 29.4.16 19:13 |  | New DVD/Blu-ray/digital titles coming out 5/3/2016 (181) |
| 29.4.16 18:09 |
 | Half liter bottle of Diet Dr Pepper |
| 29.4.16 16:44 | | Yeah last year, it was...I will say "aight" |
| 29.4.16 16:43 | | oh hello |
| 29.4.16 16:36 | | Oh no, did the bot think your username was a typo or not like my use of capital letters to denote emphasis? |
| 29.4.16 16:13 | | Spelling IS important |
