Fly Like an Eagle...

...into the past. My first visit to the Eagles Club in South Minneapolis happened last night in honor of my friend Jody's birthday. The Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie No. 34 has risen to local fame this past year, due largely in part to it being the new regular home of the Front Porch Swingin' Liquor Pigs. ("What is an aerie?", you might ask. So glad you asked.) We quickly learned that this is still an active club. The main area was filled with folks my parents' age, two-stepping and twirling to The Alphalfa Males. The wood paneling behind the bar held glass dioramas containing huge stuffed bald eagles. Jody and her friends rented the lovely little hall in the back corner. Our first discovery was the huge calendar sale hidden in the corner. 11-month calendars for only $1! December is too busy anyway. Who needs it? The selection's standout? Ferret Frenzy 2007, with photos of ferrets dressed as characters from all of your favorite sitcoms: Gilligan's Island, Baywatch, The Brady Bunch, Miami Vice... And I can't believe we were in the room for 2 hours before someone thought to peek behind the red velvet-curtained boxes on the walls and pull the chains: more eagle dioramas, spotlit. Oh yeah.