Minnesota Shame - When May 5th Came and Went
7 May 2007Another weekend was upon us, and another opportunity to play hide and seek in the Twin Cities had blanketed the metro area. The weather hadn’t quite made up its mind on how it would like to proceed. The sun was forcing its rays through a thin layer of clouds while I walked to my hiding place of choice. Later, it would rain. You can’t be surprised at the antics of spring.
This week’s social hunting was accompanied by the largest prize to date. Unless Girl Scout cookies are really your thing. The prize this week was a $50 gift certificate to the Threadless online t-shirt store. If you have never been there, check them out. Be careful, as you may die from delight.
So what, you ask, was the hiding place for the weekend? None other than the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis, of course!
More specifically, my hiding spot was Keys Cafe in the Foshay Tower. I would have hidden on the only observation deck in Minneapolis, but it was closed. And if it weren’t closed, it would have cost $4. No, thank you.
I ordered a cup of turkey and wild rice soup and a cup of coffee. It was slightly before noon, and I was getting anxious, so I sent out the first very basic clue.
West of the river.
That’s right. I wasn’t in St. Paul. That’ll be a fine enough start for people who need a general idea of where to look. Or, rather, where not to look.
Noon came, and it was time for my first real clue.
It has a MySpace page.
That’s right. The Foshay Tower has a MySpace page. Unfortunately, it doesn’t blog. We’ll never hear it say things like “I wish I had an umbrella” or “I can resist winds up to 400 mph.”
Fifteen minutes pass, and my soup is gone. All signs point to the need for another clue.
Home to only Norwegian consulate in the midwest.
This, apparently, was a dead give away. Five minutes after the clue was given, I got a few text messages stating that I was at the Foshay Tower. D’oh. I Googled that clue before and came up with nothing! Oh well.
And, as of one and a half months ago, the Norwegian consulate was no longer located in the Foshay Tower. It was actually in the AT&T Tower across the street. Damn you, Wikipedia. I’m glad I wasn’t writing a report for school.
Since people were already on my scent, I ordered some Huevos Rancheros and a Bloody Mary. I had never consumed a Bloody Mary before, and found that I was, indeed, missing out on a tasty way to consume vegetables and alcohol and spices.
With my food ordered from the fantastically polite waitress, it was time for another clue. I had plenty of clues, and wanted to get the witty ones out before I was found.
Can only beg your pardon from a tru man.
President Truman pardoned Wilbur Foshay, who was sent to Levenworth Penitentiary for mail fraud three years after the Foshay Tower opened. Wilbur Foshay spent three years in Levenworth, before his sentence was commuted by FDR. But it was Truman who did the actual pardoning a couple years later.
People were coming! I needed to send out another clue!
The middle finger for 45 years.
I don’t know why my dad keeps telling me this, but a grand old joke used to be as follows.
Person giving you the finger: What is this?
You: I have no idea.
Person giving you the finger: The Minneapolis skyline.
Now you know. The Foshay Tower was the tallest building in Minneapolis for 45 years. This tower, modeled after the Washington Monument, was eventually eclipsed by the IDS Center in 1972. 45 years is a fine lifespan for a lewd joke.
I had time for one more nugget of wisdom. The last clue of the day went out around 1:05pm.
His eponymous song was played but once by the March King during his lifetime
Wilbur Foshay lost all of his money two months after the Foshay Tower opened, due to the stock market crash. When the Foshay Tower opened, to much celebration, John Philip Sousa the March King was hired to write a song to commemorate the occasion.
Due to the lack of money, Sousa was never paid. The opening day of the Foshay Tower was the only time the “Foshay Tower-Washington Memorial March” was played during Wilbur’s lifetime. About 9 years ago, the City of Minneapolis paid Sousa’s estate for the song. Wilbur, you little scoundrel!
Five minutes later, at 1:10pm, Mark Smithivas stepped into Key’s Cafe and shook my hand. Mark had won the game for the day!
Here are a few things you should know about Mark. He used only public transportation to find me. He plans on starting up his own hunting game shortly. And he is from Chicago.
What’s that? Yeah, Chicago. He was visiting from Chicago, you native Minnesotans. Unfamiliar with the area and the bus routes, Mark found me in an hour and ten minutes. He beat all the native Minnesotans. For shame, Minnesota. For shame.
Mark and I had some lunch together and talked games, technology, family, and ideas ideas ideas. Mark’s ideas for his own hunting game sounds really inspired. If anyone reading this lives in Chicago, keep an eye on Mark’s webpage called Follow Me Chicago.
After our eggs were finished, an no one else decided to join us, I drove Mark the the light rail station. I offered Mark a ride, but he wanted to use our public transportation. Oh, poor naive Mark. Public transportation in Minnesota is a joke.
Now I expect everyone in Minnesota to step up for the game on May 12th. You wouldn’t like another helping of shame, would you? I sure hope not. Put a little elbow grease into your thinking cap repairs this week and we’ll be good to go!
One Response to “Minnesota Shame - When May 5th Came and Went”
May 10th, 2007 at 6:14 am
Thanks Aric, I had a blast playing! Don’t be so hard on your fellow natives. I had a bit of luck on my side. Here’s how my day went:
- Walked with wife to cafe near Powderhorn Park.
- Saw bus stop on Bloomington outside cafe. Asked lady waiting for bus if it went downtown. Figured a consulate must be downtown.
- Googled address of consulate while waiting for bus.
- Got off at Nicollet Mall. Looked up for a building that looks like a middle finger. Saw Foshay Tower.
- Began to rain. Thought I’d walk around the tower in case something looked like a clue.
- Luckily walked past the Keys and there was Aric sitting in the window. If he had been further inside, I probably would’ve walked right on by.
By the way, Mayday Parade was really cool! Nothing like that in Chicago unfortunately.
If you ever make it to Chicago, I’d be happy to host a LDG:Chicago version anytime.
Cheers, Mark