Just For Fun

Minneapolis Parks Celebrate Halloween

Posted on by Ben Trudeau - Edina Realty

For the kids – dare to visit a MPRB rec center and have a howling good time this Halloween…..HAVE FUN AND BE SAFE! 

Keewaydin Park, 3030E. 53rd St.
Saturday, Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m. – Haunting Fun welcomes ghosts, goblins, witches and every other haunter come for some tricks and treats, a coloring contest, crafts and more. Free; no pre-registration required. Call 612-370-4956 for more information.

McRae Park, 906 E. 47th St.
Saturday, Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m. – Spooky Fun at McRae Park features games, treat bags and more. Open to everyone, but especially the younger goblins. Free; no pre-registration required. Call 612-370-4909 for more information.

Minnehaha Falls Park, 4801 S. Minnehaha Park Dr.
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2-4 p.m. – Minne-ha-ha Falls of Fun Halloween is a family event with kid-friendly musical entertainment, hayrides, creepy crawly creatures to check out (courtesy of the Park Board Naturalist Program) fortune-telling, marshmallow roasting, and a trail full of costumed characters for trick-or-treat. $2 per person; pre-register online at any south Minneapolis park, at www.minneapolisparks.org, or pay the day of the event. Call 612-370-4923 for more information.

Pearl Park 414 E. Diamond Lake Rd.
Friday, October 30, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Preschool Halloween Party featuring a western-style ghost town. Come dressed in costumes for a tour of the “I Spy” room, craft project, games and concessions (small fee), all set up like the Wild, Wild West. Join the costume parade at 12:15 p.m. $2 per person; pre-registration is required at www.minneapolisparks.org – Recreation Centers – Pearl Park. Call 612-370-4906 for more information.

Sibley Park, 1900 E. 40th St.
 Friday, Oct. 30, 4-5:30 p.m. – Rec Plus Halloween Party for 12-year-olds and under with plenty of tricks and treats. Free; no pre-registration required. Call 612-370-4954 for more information.

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New Look, New Dog, New Pizza…same old weather (includes Pizza Joe’s review)

Posted on by Ben Trudeau - Edina Realty

A week of change!  We've been working on updating the look of this site and went live with it on Sunday night.  Here it is!  You're looking at it.  It's not perfect, but I think that's okay considering that we help people buy and sell houses for a living, not design websites!  Let us know what you think.  Like it? See a glaring error?  Tell us that too!

Second, my family and I adopted a new dog on Sunday.  He was formerly known as Chevy Chase, but we have fittingly renamed him Clark W. Griswold.  He's a ~7 month border collie/lab mix.


Clark W. Griswold
Clark W. Griswold 2

He is very exited to meet all his neighbors around Lake Nokomis and the Minnehaha Dog Park.

And lastly, news for everyone in the East Nokomis area.  I tried our new pizza joint last night.  Pizza Joe's moved in to the space formerly occupied by Ginelli's.  Ginelli's was a favorite of my neighbors and mine.  Would Pizza Joe's successfully replace it?

Well so far so good.  We tried to order on their website and ran into some errors.  When we called to follow up, they were unbelievably nice.  The manager was clearly excited at a chance to make some new customers.  We ordered two pizzas:  a build your own with peppers, onions, and mushrooms, and a sausage.  We had our choice of three different crusts and went with the "hand tossed."  Both pies were well received.  The sauce was good, the toppings fresh, the cheese gooey, and I heard from the others that the sausage was good. 

Was it as good as the late great Ginelli's?  Well…no.  But it was better than any of the chains for sure.  It held up well against the local joints too. I like the choices and flavor of Parkway Pizza better, but their bitter crust cannot be eaten alone and you end up with a plate of "pizza bones."  And Pizza Joe's was cheaper!  I'm not a huge fan of Joey D's..err…I mean Chris and Rob's pizza, but I know that others are.  I guess I could see myself order from any of the them depending on what I'm in the mood for and what crowd I'm feeding.

Welcome to the neighborhood Pizza Joe's!

What? You want me to talk about pie some more?

Posted on by Ben Trudeau - Edina Realty

I know you've been on the edge of your seats wondering how my Baker's Wife pie experience was this Thanksgiving.  Well wait no more.  Here are the results:

Cherry Pie

Good, but not as good as I remember it.  I think the novelty wore off.  Still a safe choice for the holidays.

Pecan Pie

Now we're talking.  I love pecan pie, so maybe this is irrelevant to those of you who don't like nuts.  But this pie was tasty.  The pecans were perfectly roasted.  I don't know if he cooks it longer, or hotter, or if he pre-roasts the pecans, but it works.  And to prove it was better, my dog Nigel took both half eaten pies off the counter while we were out.  He ate the pecan, and he left the cherry untouched.

Best Halloween Display in Minneapolis!

Posted on by Ben Trudeau - Edina Realty

If you live in the Ericsson neighborhood, you've probably already discovered Polly and Gregg Hanson's annual Halloween display.  They (okay, mostly just Polly) have been growing and improving their "graveyard," as Polly calls it, for 10 years.

As the owner of Virginia Rose Estate Sales, the Hansons are in the perfect business for finding odd and discarded pieces add to the scenery.  Polly says that she tries to avoid store bought items, although with their reputation they often recieve gifts that do have commercial origins.  The hard work and commitment to producing something orginal that you can't simply buy at Menard's really shows.  Go check it out before the spooky season is over! 

The home is located at 4228 30th Ave S.  Enjoy the pictures:

      From street  

Big picture  Skelly 

 Mummy  Al frankenstein  Side of house

Skip the Convention! See the Town! (A Top 10 List)

Posted on by Ben Trudeau - Edina Realty

With the tens of thousands of delegates, reporters, technicians, and families of in town for the week…

Top 10 Things for Republicans to See or Do During the RNC:

10.  Spend money at local shops (not just the Mall of America).

9.  Drink and eat on roof top decks.  Best bets:  Stella’s Fish Cafe, Joe’s Garage, and Brit’s Pub.

8.  Visit a lake.  We have like 10,000 of them or something. 

7.  Spend lots of money in Hennepin County (that will help pay for the new Twin’s stadium)

6.  Go to a Museum.  The Minneapolis Institute of Art is amazing, and FREE!

5.  Tip well.  It might just buy you a vote.

4.  Don’t jaywalk.  We have lots of crosswalks.

3.  Try a Grain Belt Premium.  It is, after all, a beer of exceptional quality.  Drinking anything else will just make you seem elitist.

2.  Visit Minnehaha Falls.  It’s more impressive than you’d think.

1.  Buy John McCain another home.  Let me know if you need a good Realtor!

Hockey Player Sinks!

Posted on by Ben Trudeau - Edina Realty

Well not yet…but it’s only a matter of time before the right winger in this photo melts into Minnehaha Creek and then shoots over the falls and down to the Mississippi.  Of course, NHL hockey season will continue on into the summer.  I prefer nature’s rules:  When the ice melts…the season’s over!

Hockey_2

Two Winter Poems

Posted on by Ben Trudeau - Edina Realty

Winter Poem by Anonymous

It’s winter in Wisconsin & the gentle breezes blow,
seventy miles an hour at 35 below.

Oh, how I love Wisconsin, where the snow’s up to your butt,
& you take a breath of winter & your nose gets frozen shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful so I guess I’ll hang around.
I could never leave Wisconsin cuz I’m frozen to the ground.

Windowfrost
Winter Haiku by George Trudeau

Old Man Winter knocks,
etching icy window ferns.
Tropical dream blooms.

Best Local Bakery Item…continued

Posted on by Ben Trudeau - Edina Realty

My colleague has espoused the sugary goodness of the apple fritter from Mel-O-Glaze.  I’m sure it’s good.  But is it the best treat in town?

I say go North!..six blocks to A Baker’s Wife.  Located at the corner of 28th Ave and 42nd St.  If you don’t melt at the smell of Gary’s fresh lovingly prepared pastries perfuming out the door, you’ll make it your next obstacle–choosing which one to try!  If it’s your first start with the pear tart.  At first its size will intimidate you.  But you’ll soon learn that the best way to eat it, is to share.  That way you can pick out more treats to try and split them. 
Pear_tart_2

Mmmmm…the light flaky pastry makes a nest for half of a pear swimming in custard.  It is simply the best Father’s Day gift you can get for under $2.00.