Crushing blow

I went out last night to get pre-sale tickets for a show tonight. Only to find signs posted on the establishment that they are one of the places that qualified, applied for and received an exemption from the smoking ban. Which is not a place I normally care for other than this show tonight. So it wasn't a big deal until....

I stopped in another place that has been more chick friendly of late (TownHouse) and it also has gotten the exemption. So do I just shun St Paul altogether? Some thinking to do I guess. Discuss with friends that I normally hang with.

I mean, although I used to take that as just part of going to a bar, the thought of not having to wash the same load of laundry twice just to get rid of the stench was really nice. And I know a lot of people are not smokers but feel for the "loss of rights" like my friends, so much so that they have a webpage just for where you can still dine and lite it up. Which I only half agree with, if my neighbor overindulges so much booze that he destroys his liver, it does not also destroy my liver. I have to imbibe delicious vodka on my own. Same with food, sex, and other non-inhaled drugs (yes I consider cigarettes legal drugs). But I do think you should be able to do whatever you want to yourself as long as it doesn't affect me. I just wonder in the fight for keeping our "rights" are they only coming down on the side of smokers because D is one? What about my "right" to not pollute/poison my body?

So I'm all for the ban in public. Therein lies the crux of the matter... what's public? Someone owns that bar/restaurant... shouldn't they be able to run it how they like? D likes to lite up before and after eating. I think it destroys your tastebuds and therefore robs you of the experience of the actual food. Who cares if I make a great Bearnaise sauce if it all tastes the same to you? How can you even smell the food over the lingering malodorous air protruding from your clothes and hair?

I dunno, I've been to California and east coast areas where there was just no smoking inside any building. And everyone seemed fine. Although Grandpa's Moose lodge just decided to puff away and chip in for fines. But they sure add up quick... it's starting here at $200 for first violation and doubles every time until you're getting dinged for $2k each time. That's a lot of gin and grub sold to cover that. Well see how Minnesota reacts. We're only 24 hours into the ban.

Sweet dreams.