Kiger's Notebook

What are your Black Friday shopping tips?

As usual, I'm looking for help.

I'd love to hear your Black Friday shopping tips.

"I don't shop on Black Friday. I stay home and sleep" does not count as a "tip." I know you people. Heh.

I'm looking for advice from the strategic, serious shoppers out there.

How do you deal with the crowds, lines and general chaos to get great deals and maybe even the free stuff being handed out for the first people in line.

I am planning on compiling this for print. If you want to give your name, I'll say where the sage shopping advice came from.Thanks for any help you might be able to give me.

You can post the tips as a comment here or e-mail me at jkiger@postbulletin.com. If Twitter is your thing, my Twitter account is @whereskiger.

Reminder - Roch. Biz After Hours tonight

Here's a reminder about tonight's business networking event in Rochester. Due to gremlins in the system, this event did not make it in the business calendar very many times.

So here's your reminder. I plan to be there, so please bring your tips and your gripes. I'd love to hear them. I'll even take compliments, if there are any of those out there.

• Business After Hours, a networking event for local businesses is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the La Quinta Inn & Suites, 1615 South Broadway in Rochester.

La Quinta is hosting along with the Rochester Art Council.

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors this monthly networking event.

 And the chamber also will host its free Wellness Fair Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the RCTC Fieldhouse

Connect the dots for girls' night out

Follow the trail of blue dots for tonight's Who Let the Girls Out event @ the University Square Mall in downtown Rochester.

I spotted (yeah, that was a little joke…very little) event organizer Ann Chafoulias sticking the dots on the floor during the lunch hour. Sounds like she and retailers in the University Square Mall and the Double Tree Hotel have a lot on tap for this event from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. tonight.

And they hope to do more things like this.

One thing they are doing is a Letter Hunt game where shoppers get a letter at different stores to try to solve the mystery phrase. They have game sheets at each store. First 20 folks to figure it out win a prize.

Live music will be provided by Annie Mack and the Soul Sister Review.

Here is all of the bonus stuff women will score by hitting the event:

• Warm Up your Hands with a Free Parafin Dip and Massage by Blu H20 Salon. 

• Happy Hour Priced Cocktails from Chester’s and Pescara. 

• Free Chocolate by Chocolaterie Stam. 

• Come and see the 5 Fashion Must-Haves for your Fall Wardrobe at Collections. 

• Free 50th Anniversary Lilly Pulitzer Gift with any regular price purchase. 

• Counterpoint “Fresh” Body/Skin Care Gift to the irst 50 ‘Who Let the Girls’ Out Customers. 

• Free Cake served with our new cake server from Finland at Counterpoint Home. 

• CP3 Marimekko Gift to the first 50 ‘Who Let the Girls Out’ Customers. 

• 15% Discount on Any Regulary Priced Item from Games by James. 

• Trunk Show by “Cameleon” and Special Pricing for this Event ONLY from Hers. 

• Stretch Denim Jeans $99 Sale at Knights of Chamber. 

• Swedish Almond Cake Party - Free Samples at the Nordic Shop.  

• Free “Elmer” Hat with any Norweigian Sweater purchase. 

• Olive Oil/Balsamic Vinegar Tasting and Bruschetta with Complimentary Recipe by Sopra Sotto. 

•Check out the Newest Womens Fall Fashions & Enter to WIN a $50 Gift Card from the U of MN Shop. 

• Free Samples of zPizza! 

• Register to win a FREE nights getaway package from the Doubletree Hotel!

• Gift Drawings every Hour* 

* Must be present to win. 

& the soul sister reviewannie mack Live Entertainment Featuring

Tasting event in Austin tonight…tequilla tasting

Here's a note from Dave Olson, owner of Apollo Liquors & Superette at  903 Oakland Ave. N.W. in Austin:

Tequila Tasting tonight, Friday Sept. 18, at the Austin Elks Club.

We will be starting at 5 p.m. and tasting until 8 or 9 p.m. Chips and salsa provided. Cost $5 per person. We will be sampling the Reposado, Anejo and Blanco from 3 great producers including Herradura, El Jimador and Don Eduardo.

We will also have a few Mexican beers to sample tonight. This is an informal tasting, on a come-and-go basis.

Art that keeps you dry or maybe highbrow art

A new (new to Rochester, anyway) form of art is underway on First Ave. S.W. in downtown today.

Well-known mural artist Greg Wimmer is painting an artwork on the canvas awning that shades the entrance to the quirky gift shop Tangerine.

Essentially, it is a canvas. Today is he painting a primary coat. Expect the colorful design to go up this weekend, when he hopes to complete this experiment.

I've included a pic of the design he is shooting for on the awning. That should attract some attention from people tromping through the nearby skyways. Bring the street to the skyways through the awnings. An interesting concept.

Also look for Greg is an upcoming issue of the Post-Bulletin as we profile his large mural project in downtown Austin.

Traficant, "guest" @ Rochester's Fed prison, to leave this week

Former U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. of Ohio, who moved into Rochester's Federal Medical Center prison in 2004, is slated to be released and head back to Ohio Wednesday.

During his stay here, he developed a career as an artist selling arts for a time, until the local prison officials pulled the plug on the money.

Traficant was convicted of racketeering, bribery and tax evasion and received an eight-year sentence July 30, 2002. He has been in custody since then. The House of Representatives expelled him.

He had a reputation on Capitol Hill for his wild hair, bellbottom pants and one-minute floor speeches punctuated with the Star Trek comment, "Beam me up."

Roch. shoe to step up and become a pair?

Here's some interesting buzz

The word is that a locally-owned Rochester shoe store is looking to open a second location.

I have no confirmation yet, but maybe some shoe leather investigating will make things clearer.

If I tie this one up or if I trip over my own laces, I'll share the footsteps on the path I took.

Denny Hanson + karaoke = ?

OK, here's something special.

The Rochester, Minn. City Council President and local business leader Denny Hanson showing his "softer side" by singing "I Can See Clearly."

Sorry, Denny. I couldn't resist.

And Thanks to Mike Nassif of Entertainment to Go for this clip from the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce 2009 Golf Tournament as well as all of the others.

Yes…I have more.

Cruising with Leaders 2009 - smooth sailing

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce's Cruising with the Leaders event at Treasure Island Casino and on cruising up and down the Mississippi made no great waves as Rochester, Olmsted County and state leaders mingled with area business leaders.

The discussion portion before boarding the boat (yacht, whatever) was interesting, but did not particularly break new ground.

Richard Freese of the Public Works did a good job explaining the 65th interchange situation and City Administrator Steve Kvenvold mentioned how he would not urge the city to accept control of U.S. 63, if MNDOT offered to relinquish that control.

Both discussions were reported very well in Jeff Pieters article today.

The chatter on the river was engaging and fun. I did get a chance to meet a few new people  – Anthony DeBusk of the Boy Scouts, Chuck Mahlman of Magnum Graphix – and pick up some useful business tidbits.

Roch. Chamber Golf Bash 09 - photo album 3

And here are yet more photos for the 2009 Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament at Willow Creek Golf Course.

Beware all of you singers out there. I am working on acquiring recordings of all of the performances. I think the rest of the world should have a chance to experience the musical stylings that took place in the Mike Nassif music tent.