No contest, according to Award

Historians can't answer the question: Did Mark Twain actually say "the coldest winter I ever spent was the summer in San Francisco?"
Well, MARK TWAIN AWARD traveled the breadth of SAN FRANCISCO, from BAY BRIDGE (top) to GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE (bottom), and can say with certainty that the coldest winter he ever spent was the *^%&$#@! WINTER OF 2007 in DUBUQUE!
Record snowfall of 78.7 inches versus foggy mornings that give way to afternoon sunshine and 65 degrees? No contest!

Welcome to the "city of startling events"

"San Francisco is a city of startling events. Happy is the man whose destiny it is to gather them up and record them in a daily newspaper!"
-- Letter from Mark Twain to the Territorial Enterprise, 1865.
MARK TWAIN AWARD enjoyed his own series of startling events during a recent trip to SAN FRANCISCO. Check this Web site in the coming days for Mark Twain Award's adventures in the GOLDEN STATE.
(The above photo was taken at Mark Twain Place, a signed alley off Sansome, between Clay and Washington streets in the San Francisco Financial District.)

Something borrowed, something blue, something gold and shiny

Former THer EMILY ANN KLEIN married THOMAS ROBERT SHEDEK Saturday, and MARK TWAIN AWARD seemed to enjoy the festivities.
He posed with the bride, draped flowers over his shiny body and participated in some sort of dice game at one of the rowdier tables. Mark Twain Award otherwise behaved himself.
"People talk about beautiful friendships between two persons of the same sex. What is the best of that sort, as compared with the friendship of man and wife, where the best impulses and highest ideals of both are the same. There is no place for comparison between the two friendships; the one is earthly, the other divine." -- Mark Twain in "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"

Mark Twain Award versus the beaver

Talk about a close call!
We arrived just in time to rescue MARK TWAIN AWARD today, after this hungry BEAVER eyed the award's wooden base and muttered something about "found a little something for the lodge."
Now see here, beaver, there are plenty of trees in the forest and Mark Twain Award is not intended for gnawing.
We threatened to give the beaver the full "Mississippi River fur trapper" treatment. He dropped Mark Twain Award, stuck his (big, flat) tail between his legs and scampered out of the newsroom.
The entire episode reminded us of that time a well-hydrated dog happened upon Mark Twain Award in the park, lifted his hind leg and... oh... now THAT was a close call!

City of Broad Shoulders and One Little Statue

MARK TWAIN AWARD spent the weekend with ANN and BRIAN COOPER in CHICAGO, where he took in some of the landmarks and sights along and around Michigan Avenue.
The street musician seemed particularly inspired by Mark Twain Award's presence.

Mark Twain Award likes the poutine, eh?

We pretended to be CANADIAN the other day, eh, and MARK TWAIN AWARD did his best to follow suit.
We enjoyed eating POUTINE, or as Quebec Anglophones might say, THE poutine. The quintessential Canadian comfort food consists of French fries topped with cheddar cheese curds and smothered in gravy. Mmm, eh?
Good stuff.
We also tried to introduce Mark Twain Award to some common examples of Canadiana.
What's that, you say, common Canadiana? Then where is the BUNNY HUG or the TUQUE, eh?

Take Mark Twain Award out to the ballgame

Legend has it, Samuel Clemens attended a baseball game on May 18, 1875 -- he reportedly saw the Hartford Dark Blues defeat the Boston Red Stockings, 10-5.
His namesake, MARK TWAIN AWARD, received a taste of the national pastime when the MILWAUKEE BREWERS recently hosted the SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS at Miller Park.

The July 2, 1887 Elmira (N.Y.) Daily Advertiser reported that Mark Twain umpired a contest of "the old-fashioned game of base ball" between the Alerts and the Unions.
Mark Twain Award took no officially active role in the contest between the Brewers and the Giants. However, he did take up a prominent position with the "Miller Park Heroes," including former Gov. Tommy Thompson.