Thousand fahreheit hot metal lights behind your eyes, invincible

It has just come to my attention that Michael J. Nelson, head writer and leading man for the latter half of Mystery Science Theater 3000, has pulled up stakes and moved to San Diego. And frankly, I am wounded.

Neil Gaiman is said to live somewhere near Minneapolis. Richard Dean Anderson presumably takes up at least part time residence somewhere in Minnesota. But Mike! Mike was my only realistic chance for a celebrity encounter! Once there was the fluttering hope that I might glance out the bus window to see that familiar, enormous, Nordic face flash past, and then think to myself, "was that Mike Nelson? That couldn't have been Mike Nelson. Well, maybe if you put him in a teal jumpsuit...oh, man, I have to go blog about this right now!" Now there is only a cold dead patch on my Minnesota heart.

It was just always such a little point of pride, knowing that not only was MST3K born in Minnesota, but through Mike, MST3K stayed in Minnesota. California may have claimed Joel, but Mike remained. Big, blond, grinning Mike even looked the part of the quintessential Minnesotan. Mike was ours.

And now he's up and skedaddled to San Diego. Well, hmph. Go ahead, abandon your robot friends, Mike. See if we care.

:(