Happy Birthday Last American Bakery!!!!!!!!!!

OK, its no time to be modest.

Yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of the Last American Baker.

To be honest.....I thought about doing something special for my little L.A.B. Rats....but Guns & Roses came to the Twin Towns and I spent a large part of yesterday making merry.

One year though huh?

213 posts huh?

Man....we've gone through a lot in that time.

To be honest, I wasn't sure as to what I should expect from you guys, but I know the one thing I wanted to do.... and I accomplished it .

My main objective was to give people from all walks of life, a little taste as to what it's like to actually live in the Hospitality Industry.

Your responses have been the main reason I continue tossing my thoughts into cyber space.

So looking back, what were some of the Blog's most memorable moments during the last year?

For me, there have been a few that stuck out............

#1 - Post #82 was entitled "The Sex Drive of Priests and Sous Chefs". If you didn't read that one, it discusses humans genetic make up and the after effects of sex being uses irresponsibly.

Somebody took offense and voiced a negative opinion to the powers that be.

For 3 days our L.A.B. lost its links to all the major social media outlets.

After a little networking of my own, I was able to get things up and running again.

Some people asked me if I was pissed at whoever did it, and I responded......

"No, I am just sad that their perception has made them so angry."

I lied.....I actually prayed for their death LOL....j-u-s-t K-i-d-d-i-n-g.

#2 - Episode #100 (the post is actually called Episode 100). That may have been the single most beautiful piece I have ever written. It was one of the few-few times in Klecko's life where he actually felt that maybe some kind of divine intervention placed him in the path of an experience that he was meant to witness.

It is the only Blog post that I have copied and sent to my Granddaughter. It means a lot to me that she not only learns how to look at others, but I want her to know that her Grandfather spent a great deal of time prioritizing this.

#3 - This message was left for me, and it truly changed my life........

I just wanted to say hallo from Berlin Germany, because i always read your blog and i cannot say how much i enjoy it although we both are rather different ... : )
I am a leftish German atheist who despises Reagan and although I lived in the US on and off i cannot say that I really understand your fascinating country, but I nonetheless came to love it. Anyway, I love your honesty, passion and compassion, your humor and you reminded me that although we humans have different opinions and our fights and arguments about those we still have so much more in common than things that keep us apart.

we all love, suffer and eat bread : )

Love from bread-country Germany

Birgit

Can you imagine how I felt lining up with my monitor early one morning and seeing that? Birgit, if you are still with me...."We all love, suffer and eat bread" may be a new Klecko tattoo.

I can't thank you enough.

#4 -In the Blog post...."Singing with Bono and Sue McGleno" I received praise from a L.A.B. follower,

"this might be the best paragraph i have ever read"

Sure there would be some obligatory protest on her part where she tells me to keep it and assuring me she'll be fine, but at the end, she would be dry, and whoever stood behind the baker at the U2 show would go home and tell people the following morning how some big Shrek looking dude in front of them blocked their sight, and all they could see was a huge monkey tattoo that was bleeding through a soggy T-shirt.

July 25, 2011 11:05 AM / Laurie Hertzel

Everybody in the Minnesota who isn't a complete savage not only knows who Hertzel is, but they covet her work.

However, if living in Guam or Latvia has taken you from our Twin Cities literary loop....Laurie is the "Book" writer for the StarTribune newspaper.

If its written, new, classic or relevant.....it goes through her before any single person on the Liter-arty scene.

She is well read, loves dogs and baseball.

I don't say this very often, but she is one of the few people I would rather hear talk instead of myself.

Her opinions tend to be fact, and just knowing that she even remotely sniffed my rants mean a tremendous amount to me.

#5 "In Case You Missed the Greatest Night of my Life".......

Even though this didn't happen all that long ago, it certainly was an epic moment.

This was the evening where I had a chance to recite at the University Club. I read my original work and for the closing.....my writing mentor...Saint Paul's own rebel poet Mike Finley came up and we presented Michael Jackson's "Thriller">

O-M-G.......and all the bow tie wearing peeps, they dug it.

Ya kinda had to be there, but I would, and will remain remiss if I ever review my accomplishments or legacy w/o mentioning Mike Finley.

It has taken him over a decade to help me create a "dented style" that has become presentable.....but it sure didn't take him long to impress upon me how it is cooler to "Be a poet...than write poems"

#6

Over the year, I have shared things with the world that I don't normally even share with people at the bar or in church pews.

I've introduced you to my best friends, and I have also admitted how my love for them has made me vulnerable.

I know that sounds totally "self help" but we have broke bread together...you and I for 213 installments.

Kim Ode,Alison Aten, Gilson, Lee Svitak Dean, Mike Finley and all the peeps at MHS and Lucky Park, they know that without them, without letting me observe their lives....I've got nothing to talk about.

But the one thing, the main thing that I need to say "THANK YOU" for as we celebrate our little anniversary together is......

I simply will never be able to repay you all for how kind and receptive you have been with my "Sue McGleno" character.........I've got a few short straws in life, but that little Russian Jew has kept my karma wheel even.

You all have been more than gracious in your comments and requests concerning her.

In closing.........

We had over 25 000 hits this year.

L.A.B. was read in 96 different countries.

And L.A.B. will continue to stand pat and never use photos in the blog.

Any good story teller should be able to convince you, that your mind serves as a better palate for my rants that some shoddy image captured on a "smart" phone.

Thanks again you knuckle heads.....I love most of you.

Get Baking.........................................