Another 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.
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It was another beautiful day in the Twin Cities. The sun had reached its peak at high noon. If you had been consulting a sundial, it most certainly would have informed you that Least Dangerous Game was ready to begin. Also, that novelty weather forecasting rock you bought in the gift store at Lake Itasca would be telling you that it was clear. Why did you buy that thing anyhow?
Back to the sundials. Don’t think I forgot. Sundials were standing at attention when the first clue went out to Twitter for all would be seekers to see.
East of the river.
Zip codes are getting too confining. I mean, I wasn’t in New York or Wisconsin. Just in St. Paul, a quick hop over the Mississippi River. Granted, I was texting from a gas station, but I was well on my way to hiding. Believe you me. And if anyone guess my locations from that one clue, we would need to burn you as a witch.
Where was I headed after filling my car with long passed dinosaurs? Where else but the Craftstravaganza being held at the Minnesota State Fair grounds? No where else, that’s the answer.
My car entered Dan Patch Avenue fifteen minutes after the game’s start time. It was now safe to play a slightly more specific clue.
Freemasons and Wiccans both practice this.
A quick search of “craft” in Wikipedia shows that Freemasonry and Wicca are both called “the craft.” That’s right, boys and girls. The first clues are going to make you think. Prizes of Girl Scout cookies don’t grow on trees. If they did, I would be giving away something that does not grow on trees. Like love.
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The day started out calmly enough. A trip to the Mall of America with my wife. We stopped at Barnes & Noble and picked up a gift card before heading over to P.B.Loco for lunch.
After a delicious PBBLT, my wife and I parted ways. She to shop, me to sit alone on a bench for the next two hours and forty minutes. It was noon, and Least Dangerous Game had begun for April 21st.
The hiding place was simple and uninspired. In simple terms, it was the Mall of America. The crown jewel of shopping in these United States was an easy place to hide, with its 4.5 miles of storefront. But none of these items were the reason for its choice as a hiding place.
On April 21st, 1961, the Minnesota Twin played their first game as the Minnesota Twins. They played the new Washington Senators in Metropolitan Stadium, losing 5 to 3. And where was the Mall of America built? Right over the grounds of the once mighty Met Stadium.
A plaque, where home plate once sat, commemorates the history of Met Stadium amidst the smells of cotton candy and the cries of children too scared to go on the Ghost Blasters amusement ride. A simple plaque, ignored by the mullet sporting and Twins shirt wearing alike. This would be the clue for today.
So a mere 10 feet from this plaque, I sat. And I waited.
At noon, the first clue to my whereabouts was sent to Twitter.
This partial zip code won’t be helpful. 5542*
No one could be expected to find me with this clue. The 5542 prefix encompasses Bloomington, Robbinsdale, New Hope, and more. I wasn’t about to have someone stumble upon me with dumb luck a short 45 minutes into the day.
At 12:15, the next clue went out.
There is always music in the air.
The clue was originally going to be about trees being all around, but the muzak version of Radiohead playing from the speakers behind my bench were inspiring. People may have had some idea of where I am by this time, but no clear clues had been given out.
I was 15 minutes into Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle when the next clue is given.
When these Senators evenly split their zygote.
Here I was, giving almost my exact location. When a zygote splits, it becomes a pair of twins. The Minnesota Twins were originally the Washington Senators. So the Senator’s zygote split to become the Twins on this day. With enough thinking, people could be shutting down Google at this time and getting into their cars.
Of course, the Mall of America could be up to 45 minutes away from someone’s home. The next clue is sent.
There is no place like home.
At this time, I got a direct message from someone on Twitter.
Alan: “Too bad I am working from home and can’t get to the old Met home plate.”
Ahhh, Alan! You solved it! Right on the nose! Alas, you were not here. And being here is 99% of possession, which is some ratio of the law.
An hour had passed, and it was time for another clue.
This was a great way to past the time.
Not really very deep, but the switching of “pass” and “past” should get people thinking.
1:15pm arrives, and Waldo takes his place at the home plate plaque. Yes, I kid you not. Where is Waldo? is in the mall today. But like star crossed lovers, we were never meant to be together. I texted Twitter again.
Historically speaking, 1961.
A Google search of the Twin Cities, 1961, and April 21st would show you exactly where I was. I continued to sit alone on the bench.
Seven Yankee stadiums.
The Mall of America can fit seven Yankee stadiums in it. Who wants to stick seven Yankee stadiums anywhere is beyond me, but there you are.
Still not found. And I have found no square pants.
Recently, it was announced that Nickelodeon will be taking over the Park at Mall of America. Spongebob Squarepants will certainly have his own ride, but not yet.
Then, another direct message from Twitter came in.
Steve: “As much as I’d like to make it to Home Plate at the Park in MoA I don’t have any means of getting there.”
So many people, so few cars. Time to send out another clue.
Is Black Snake MoAn still playing?
It’s easy. The extra capitalization in “moan” should bring someone right to the mall.
And, just like that, I was found. Two hours and forty minutes into the search, Cariann Higginbotham found me. She had been sitting by Waldo and his pseudo home plate, but the newest message from Twitter had spurred her on.
She was followed shortly by her husband, Ben Higginbotham of Technology Evangelist.
After being found, we had a wonderful discussion about the clues, mass transit, moon bases, Snopes, and other Twin Cities related topics. Face to face with new people I never would have met otherwise.
The prize of a $15 Barnes and Noble gift certificate was enjoyed, and Ben decided to stuff as many winning Girl Scouts into his mouth as possible.
And with that perfect climax, the day ended. There were still plenty of people playing from home, but those who took part had a great time.
This will be happening again next weekend, boys and girls. Get your technology ready for April 28th, when it starts all over again!
