June 26, 2006
When writing a blog, you find that some days, you run into a bit of blogger's block. So here now is a list of my 5 favorite breakfast cereals. ![]()
5- Raisin Bran (A classic. Two scoops in each box is a consistent claim. It always lives up to the billing. Whereas Cracker Jack always disappoints me with the lack of peanuts, but that's another story altogether. So is all the air you get when you buy a bag of chips!)
4- Grape Nuts (No lie. Sometimes they may have the same consistency as the gravel at the bottom of fish tanks, but these things are tasty! Have no idea where the grape fits into the scene though.)
3- Frankenberry (You've just got to love a cereal that turns your milk pink! Easily the coolest of those 3 monster-themed cereals. Boo Berry is just flat out weird, and Count Chocula is overrated. The only drawback of these cereals is the marshmallows that have the same consistency as that poly-foam you stick plastic flowers into.)
2- Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch (Why the Cap'n as opposed to Captain? No idea. Maybe he's not a real Captain! Kind of like when they spell imitation crab with a "K"! This Peanut Butter version is devourable. Is that a word?)
1- And finally...... Quisp! (I wasn't even sure if they still made this cereal until I went to International Falls 4 years ago for the Fishing Opener, and stopped at a grocery store, and spotted it. I was so excited, I actually yelped! It is the perfect texture of any breakfast cereal out there, the flavor is undeniably brilliant, and the space Martian mascot is classic.)
Next blog will be more substantial...perkout
June 24, 2006
They put me in a 1980 Pontiac. It was painted yellow and blue like the Perk at Play logo, with a big "11" on the side. The gear shift was strpped from its original location and placed on the floor. The gas tank was moved from the rear to the back seat, which was stripped of its seats. This was my machine. This was my baby. This was my adrenaline rush.
Nicollet, Minnesota, celebrating their sesquicentennial, invited me to Friendship Days, their county-wide fair. My role in Friendship Days was the demolition derby. Heat Two to be specific. Twelve cars. Last one running wins. We paraded into the Derby pit. A football field sized mud lot where the cars clashed like steel gladiators.
I glanced around and noticed, most of the cars were black, some gray, a couple blue. And then mine. Canary yellow. Or more like a duck. A sitting duck. Whatever happened to Friendship Days!? I was marked. "Crunch the TV Guy!" Oh well. My derby career may have been short lived, but this was a flat-out blast!
Thanks to Dan Hewitt and Billy McCabe for getting me southwest for this awesome event, and for supplying the ride, which definitely needs some serious body work now. Check out Perk at Play this week for the results. I'm going to be sore tomorrow.
Perkout
June 20, 2006
Had a very difficult shoot today for our Perk at Play segment. Was invited to Brit's Pub in Minneapolis to watch the England/Sweden Soccer match in front of a bunch of rowdy English soccer devotees.
The toughest part of the shoot, was how crowded it was in there. You could hardly move at all in the back room where all the fanatics had gathered. As soon as we started shooting, we were told by several different folks, that they didn't want to be on camera at all because they were playing hooky from work.
Then, the room they were in watching the big screen was so dimly lit, that the only way for us to get shots of them watching was to glare our camera top light in their faces.
That didn't go over well, because it distracted their viewing of the match. And trust me, that's not something they appreciated.
Oh, and don't even think about conducting interviews in this atmosphere. We eventually got everything we needed, thanks in large part to Andy Marson, the Manager there at Brit's. Cool cat.
By the way, the game ended in a 2-2 tie, and I ate a yummy plate of fish 'n chips.
Perkout
June 18, 2006
Today was so gorgeous, it was downright silly.
I grew up in Los Angeles, and have a lot of friends who still to this day, think I'm nuts for residing here in good ole Minnesota.
But I disagree.
Not that I'm nuts. No, that's pretty much a given. But how can you not like this climate? Today was perfection.
Yes, it gets cold in the winter. But not that cold. Especially when you grow accustomed to it. Yeah, the mosquitoes are bad, but nothing a little DEET can't handle. It snows, sure, but at least Minnesotans can drive in it, unlike some cities that get paralyzed by the white stuff.
Somebody told me early on, that the best way to survive the winters here are to embrace them. Well, I've been to Lambeau when its -10 degrees, I've Ice Surfed on Lake Minnetonka, I've done the Polar Plunge in St. Paul... consider it embraced.
But the summers. Now that's where it's at! I still love L.A., I ain't gonna lie, but in my book, you cannot top a day like today. You just can't.
perkout
June 17, 2006
Happy Father's Day!
My Dad is actually an avid reader of my blogs. So, on this day, I say, Howdy Pop! I miss ya.
Dad's actually living on the Florida Gulf Coast these days. He was in this TV biz for decades, and has been such a wealth of knowledge and support in which I often tap into.
I think he's hurricane dodging this week, spending Father's Day in Wyoming somewhere.
Probably taking photos (his latest passion). By the way Dad, in the previous sentence, does the punctuation come after the parentheses or after?
Hope you're well. I wish you and all the rest of the dads out there, a fantastic day.
Oh, and by the way, does this get me out of having to send a gift? Kidding.
Perkout
June 12, 2006
I gotta be honest with you. I'm digging this whole World Cup scene.
I've always been open minded about the sport of soccer. Any game that has such continent-wide devotion is worth checking out.
My favorite part of the two Olympics I've had a chance to cover, has been seeing the melting pot of countries and nationalities, all gathered together for the love of the game. To see the pride in their homeland come through in their flag waving, singing, and face painting is what sports is all about.
It's been fun learning about the soccer heroes that are rock stars in their own nations and in 'futbol' circles. It's been especially fun to see countries like the Ivory Coast, Togo, and Angola, do battle with Germany, Spain and Brazil.
If nothing else, it helps me with my Geography. I thought Tobago was in Africa, but now I know better.
I played soccer for a year and a half as a teen. But after a slide tackle, a kid named Dino fell on top of me, and I snapped my radius and ulna. The career was over at that point. But I can always watch, and for the next month, will continue to.
perkout
June 10, 2006
Every once in a while, we push ourselves to the limits of human endurance and performance, and amaze even ourselves.
Well, that just happened to me.
My wife's SUV had a flat tire the other day. I normally would've gravitated to the phone to call AAA, but instead, this time, I decided to take on the task head on myself.
Not only did I figure out where the jack and spare were located within the vehicle, but then I even boldly confronted the actual changing of the tire.
Forty minutes later, it was an amazing success. The spare was on, and the vehicle was driveable!
As egotistical as it may sound, I haven't been that proud of myself in some time. Watch out burnt out light bulb in the guest room! You're next!
perkout
June 5, 2006
This morning (Monday) was the Randy Shaver Golf Classic at Rush Creek in Maple Grove.
Another smashing success. The tourney raised a total of over $400,000 for Cancer research in Minnesota. I was honored to be part of such a meaningful event.
I golfed in one of the morning fivesomes. The shotgun start had me teeing off on the Par 3 12th hole. "Sweet" , I thought, an easy hole to start with. I used a 7 iron to get to the 165 yarder.
Instead of drilling the green though, I hit the ball on the toe of the club, and sailed into a house under construction.
Well, I quickly went into my bag to retrieve another ball, but realized that I had no other balls! I had forgotten to replenish my bag after the last time I played. Instead of embarrassing myself with my golf teammates that I had met 5 minutes earlier, by asking them for a loaner ball, I decided to hop the fence and track down my errant shot.
Well, three feet of mud greeted me when I landed on the other side of the fence. I thought I'd fallen in quicksand. Eventually, I got the ball, and started to head back over the fence when all of a sudden, the guy in my group shanked his shot into the house also!
I chased down his ball too since I was already over there, and immediately established myself as a team player and a bit of a hero.
OK, maybe not, but it sure was a fun day, and a memorable start to the round. I tracked mud on the next three greens, but it was fun. Congrats to Randy, his wife Roseann and all the phenomenal volunteers who make this tourney such a success.
June 3, 2006
OK, so some friends told me about Door County Wisconsin last night.
I somehow had never heard of this place, and the more I heard people talk about it, the more I realized how naive I've been about this tourist haven just east of us.
So all this talk got me itching to visit this spot outside of Green Bay. Then, this morning on KARE-11 News Saturday, the Chef from Wildfire Restaurant was on and he made a special Door County Cherry Pie. Believe me when I say, that is easily the best cherry pie I've eaten in my whole life. You can get the recipe by going to http://www.kare11.com/life/recipes/recipe_detail.aspx?rid=3970.
No wonder the original George W chopped down that tree. I have never tasted something with such an awesome balance of sweet and tart. Just delectable.
That's it. I will go to Door County for sure. And if not, maybe I'll just head on out to Eden Prairie and chow down another cherry pie.
By the way, how loco is it, that it's already June!?
FYI- feel free to e mail me with thoughts on the blog. Hit me at elvis@kare11.com
Later, ep