A fool for the city

I still enjoy Foghat's "Fool for the City" whenever I hear it played. The song, from the album of the same name, was released in 1975. It wasn't as popular as "Slow Ride," the other single from the album, but the truly hip kids (as hip as one can be at the ripe old age of 14) knew that it was a cool song.

I mention the trivia question from the Ford administration because the song frequently comes to mind when my wife and I visit our daughters in Minneapolis. I guess there is no song (at least not a cool one) about being a country mouse in the city, so Foghat fits the bill.

This past weekend, we made the just over four hour drive to spend the weekend. We take the Highway 60 and 169 route, because it is quicker, provides more opportunities to stop and is more scenic.

I never cease to be amazed at the difference in gasoline prices as soon as you cross the border. Our neighbors to the north are paying five to 12 cents a gallon more for gas, depending on where you stop. The gas gets more expensive the closer you get to the Twin Cities.

The pace of traffic and life also escalates as you enter the city. And, for someone who lives in Le Mars, where the oddest thing we might see on the streets is a skunk or a turkey, Minneapolis is a whole world of strange away.

For example, we saw an elderly man riding a motorized wheelchair -- you know, those Hoveround type of things that are advertised all the time -- down a four lane divided street, sharing the road with cars and semis.

That's one brave old guy.

Then there are the beggars.

During freshman orientation last year, the head of the campus police force told us that since the county had legalized begging, there were many that portrayed themselves as homeless, homeless veterans or any variation of the theme. Some are dropped off in specific locations by a van, gather their money and are picked up at the end of the day. According to the policeman, some beggars earn up to $40,000 a year.

I'm sure there are legitimate beggars, but it makes one suspicious and more than a little cynical.

Last Saturday was homecoming for the University of Minnesota. We took Madyi, who is a sophomore at the U, to get something near campus on Saturday night. On our way we saw a travelling bar, a contraption that has a bar, stools and pedals for the drinkers to propel it along. I'm sure there's a name for it, but the headlights made it appear as if there was a tractor coming down the road.

It wasn't a tractor. The "motor" of the contraption, the patrons, were singing loudly as they made their way to the next bar.

As surreal as that was, it was nothing compared to the 4,000 people that were participating in a Zombie Pub Crawl. Yes, there were people decked out and made up like zombies (I'm talking horror movie zombies, not the Voodoo kind -- there IS a difference) and were enjoying walking around, showing spirit on many different levels. 4,000 zombies. That's the equivalent of nearly half the population of Le Mars.

I felt as if I had wandered on to the set of the video for "Thriller."

There was even a Cat in the Hat Zombie.

You just don't see that in Le Mars...

Then there's the accent, you betcha. It's hard not to laugh sometimes, especially when you hear it from someone that has come to Minnesota from Africa or Asia.

I openly and freely admit that I live a fairly cloistered existence. I go to work, go home, attend the occasional function. Eat, sleep, work. Repeat. So it is always a pleasant time to get out and see new things.

The trick is not looking TOO much like a hick, something I continue to work on, but I doubt I will ever master.

As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at tstangl@lemarscomm.net, telephone 712-546-7031, x40 or toll free 1-800-728-0066 x40.

Thanks for reading, I'll keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.