The quintessential cheesehead

Cheese in one hand, kielbasa in the other, and standing next to a place that sells beer.  The only thing missing is a Packers tee-shirt.  Like so many other oversized fiberglass dudes, he was born in Sparta, Wisconsin, a relative of Muffler Men and Happy Chefs, if not quite cast from the same mold.  I could not tell year of birth as the ID plate on the back of his leg has been painted over one too many times.

Located near the interchange for Interstates I-90/94 and I-39 on state highway 78 on the way to the Merrimac ferry. Photos taken May 26, 2010.

Thinking about fiberglass

I've been sitting at my desk this afternoon thinking about fiberglass when I should be thinking about my job and editing epidemiology articles. Somehow fiberglass fish are pushing biostatistical jargon to the cliched backburner. Not to mention fiberglass Indians. Fiberglass muffler men. Fiberglass buffalo. Fiberglass Happy Chefs. Fiberglass, big and small and in all sorts of strange configurations.

And why am I thinking about fiberglass? Because I want an excuse to attend the Society for Commercial Archeology meeting scheduled for October in Albuquerque, New Mexico. That means submitting a paper proposal -- and so I'm thinking about fiberglass and a follow-up to the paper I gave in Seattle on Rocket Science and Muffler Men. I've got the graphics -- now all I need are the words. I've got the start of a catchy and alliterative title -- "Hodags, Happy Chefs, and Hiawatha: something semi-profound" -- so maybe by the end of the day I'll have the rest of it.

The Happy Chef pictured is located on the outskirts of Mankato, Minnesota, on US-169 north of US-14.