Ben Vereen

I love working at the Local. It may sound really trivial to some of you, but I have really missed having co-workers! Since August 2008, I've only worked one-on-one, as direct-care staff for people with disabilities. I did a good job, and there were times that I enjoyed what I was doing, but being in a restaurant again-- with the smiles and the high-fives and the camaraderie... it makes me say, "WOW-- I LOVE being a member of a team!"

We're not permitted to drink at the Local, on or off-duty. They stress professionalism, so we're bound to follow those rules. Luckily, aside from getting 25% off at either of our sister-pubs (Keiran's and The Liffey), we can get a free drink at Dakota Jazz Club after our shift if we bring our punch-out slip. Tonight, after a pleasant evening, I went across the street and sat on the patio with a glass of Sangiovese (my new favorite red). I read my book, and enjoyed the performance being piped through speakers into the night air.

The performer this evening was Ben Vereen. As a third-grader, I had the privilege of accompanying my dad on a business trip to Washington DC. I stayed with my aunt and cousins and my dad in a hotel, but the night that his company had a big banquet and awards ceremony, I got to be my dad's date. At nine, I was enchanted, and recorded every detail in the journal I kept for that trip (even embellishing somewhat, because I was even more of a ham back then). Ben Vereen performed at that banquet, back in 1993-- and here he was in Minneapolis in 2009. I've traveled a million miles since then, but I had a nostalgic pause that felt just right.