5 Things to Talk About at Workplace Water Coolers

1. Here comes the sun! Today's forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with a high of 76 degrees. With a 10 percent chance of rain and low humidity, today looks about as perfect a day as possible. It will still be 71 degrees at 9 p.m. tonight. Get outside, hit the links, take a stroll or have a bbq. Just do something to get outdoors! 

2. Explore your inner Picasso at the Eagan Art Festival this weekend. It runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday and its a perfect opportunity to play with paints and pick the brains of more than 100 professional artists. Held at the Eagan Community Festival Grounds, the event is free for all. 

3. On this date in 1948, African American leaders in the Twin Cities reject an offer to establish an "all-Negro" unit of the Minnesota National Guard. The group tells state adjutant general Ellard A. Walsh that it cannot accept the offer as a matter of principle. Walsh had proposed forming a truck company so that Minnesota's African Americans could take advantage of a provision in the draft law that exempted guardsmen from the draft. 

4. Fitness Pilates at the Eagan Community Center is the place to get a great midday workout today. The core practices of pilates (breathe coordination, core control, flow, and precision) will be infused with traditional fitness movements. The 45-minute class begins at 12:05 p.m.

5. Days until a potential state government shutdown: 7