While attending the Elton John concert Saturday night, I was surprised to see that Marilyn Hagerty never shared his piano bench.
The concert stage also had a big video screen that, shockingly, never showed a single image of our food critic/hometown celebrity. Given her absence from the piano seat and the big screen, I figured that she instead was skating as a right wing on the UND hockey team in the regional in St. Paul. Wrong again. I never spotted her on the ice or the bench all weekend.
You, too, may have been surprised at this turn of events. That's because we had grown accustomed to watching Marilyn on television screens as she hung out with famous people.
Not that I'm jealous. I have my gigs, too.
On Friday, while Marilyn was decompressing from jet lag and her flirtations with Anderson Cooper, I was the celebrity fish server for week five of the East Grand Forks Sacred Heart Fish Fry. This is a highly coveted perk, as you not only get a free fish dinner (with all the tartar sauce you want), but you get to talk to your people. Or "peeps," as I call them.
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Following is a sampling of the questions that my fish fry fans had for me:
"Where's Marilyn?"
"Wasn't that something about Marilyn?"
"Do you know Marilyn?"
"What's Marilyn really like?"
"Do you think Marilyn would ever serve at the fish fry?"
Yes. All Marilyn, all the time.
Not that I'm jealous.
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Marilyn may have suited up with the UND basketball team. She may have a lift station named after her. She may have her EatBeat columns read by millions. She may have a free ocean voyage to Italy in her future, courtesy of Anderson Cooper's show.
However, I not only have the fish-serving perk, but also the Rummaging with Ryan promotion. In case you've been too busy reading Marilyn to pay attention, the rummaging promotion allows several readers and their guests the golden opportunity to accompany me in a limousine to rummage sales in the Grand Cities.
I can't confirm it yet, but we're hoping to rummage in Rome this year. With Anderson Cooper driving the limo.
Reach Bakken at (701) 780-1125; (800) 477-6572, ext. 125; or send e-mail to rbakken@gfherald.com .
