Two dinners and Al Franken

On Friday, October 21, I had two dinners and met Al Franken. Or he met me depending on important you think I am. Here's what happened.

I had planned on a 6:00 pm dinner with Cranky's Wife and cranky jr. at Rosebud an Italian restaurant that serves very large portions. On my way to the restaurant I got a call from a good friend who asked if I would like to go with him to a small fund raiser at Maggiano's, another Italian restaurant, at 7:30 pm where Al Franken would be speaking. I said sure if you can get us in I'd love to tag along. Of course I get a call just before I met the cranky family that yes, we could get in to the dinner with Franken.

Now I love Cranky's Wife and cranky jr. but I've met them before but never Al Franken. So I said I would meet cranky's friend for dinner and Franken at 7:30 pm. Now the Curmudgeon had a problem. I guess I'll just add it to the list. I needed to eat something at 6:00 pm, to be polite, and then run out on my cranky family, to not be polite, which would only make them more cranky. Then I needed to drive home, shave, change into some business casual outfit and drive to Maggiano's. I ate. I ran. I hit every red light on my way home and a driver who wouldn't turn right on red all of which made me more cranky. I ran into the house shaved and changed and ran out again like fugitive on the run and drove to meet Al Franken.

I parked in the mall lot and quickly found out I had parked the farthest point away from Maggiano's. To late to go back I ran the length of the mall and made it in time to mingle with Franken.

Franken is probably a lock to run for U.S. Senate in 2008 against Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) and is moving back to Minnesota in January, 2006. For over a year he has hosted a talk radio show on Air America Radio methodically, factually and humorously dismantling the lies of the Republicans, The White House and the right-wing in general. He told stories from his five USO tours to Iraq and how MREs go down ok but, just like W, they don't have an "exit strategy" if know what I mean. He choked up talking about his dad who died 12 years ago and was angry and sad about the soldiers dying and getting wounded in Iraq who are the same age as his kids. He is as outraged at the corruption and cronyism in the Republican party and White House that has led, through sheer greed and incompetence, wholesale theft and needless deaths. He also cracked a joke about Gov. Rod Blagojevich's last name actually meaning "son of a boring Gentile." Overall he is a very funny, knowledgeable and sincere speaker is probably a favorite to win a senate seat in 2008. We need more people like him in Congress and less "human tranquilizers" there.

After eating my second Italian meal of the evening, the Curmudgeon sucked up to Franken one last time before he slowly walked about four blocks to his car and drove home. Two Italian dinners and Al Franken. Not a bad way to spend a friday night.

P.S. Rosebud is better.