Cayman Islands Stamps

  One of my E-bay orders arrived earlier today, it was a combo of Charlie Brown stamps. The order  included a set from the Cayman Islands, along with Gibraltar and Portugal. I like seeing the different versions, 17 stamps in all. The ones from the Caymans were a set of 6, and had a vacation theme including things like Charlie Brown at a golf course. Peppermint Patty and Marcie were on their own stamp, but Lucy wasn't on any of them. The ones from Portugal were also a set of 6, but were all just of Snoopy. It was about writing, mailing, and delivering letters. Gibraltar was a set of 5, Snoopy was on all of them with Woodstock on two and Charlie Brown on one. These were from 2001, and I did have another edition from this nation as a first day cover, made two years later. Both had a Christmas theme. It did lead to me deciding to re-arrange my stamp collection in this book. I wanted to get more stamps in it as it was nearly full so I said I needed to put more stamps in each section. There are two sections to a page, and many of the pages now have 8 stamps on them, pretty much the maximum amount. I had to think about the future as I really am just getting started on the stamp collection, as I know there is plenty available on E-bay.
    I did a decent amount of errand running today. I wanted to find a special stamp store- known as a 'philatelic' store- in Burnsville but couldn't. Based on the address I found online, the directions led me to what is a Burger King. But I am aware of how not everything online is accurate or up-to-date. Then eventually I ended up in Woodbury as I wanted to look around there and hadn't in a while. In the evening I did go to a comedy show as I knew two of the performers. The headliner was the same comic I had seen perform in the St. Louis area two years ago. Like many comics, he had merchandise to sell based on his jokes. A shirt was available that said 'flapjacks and tits'.     

Notes From A Comedy Show

    I got an unexpected souvenir at a comedy show tonight, a comic threw his notes at me and I kept them. It was not quite the same as a baseball, but I will take it. What was really odd was how he threw them at me, then went into the crowd to get it back and threw it again. And for some reason it was at the same table, but actually not at me the second time. It is hard to say if they were real notes or 'Dummy notes' as I found it hard to believe that a comic would throw such a thing. Usually, comics guard their notes with their life. There were five items listed, but I don't recall if any of these subjects were actually part of his comedy routine. I don't think I had seen this comic perform before.
    I did sign up to perform but wasn't picked. But I know, like some other clubs, I will get picked more if I sign up more. And I am still new to this particular show, even though many of the performers know me from the other clubs I frequent.
   I didn't know for sure what to expect at work since it was right before a holiday. But thankfully there was no 'crisis before the holiday' like had happened before. I did speak of some of the things that I wanted to get done over the weekend. I know the tourist season is essentially ending so I did speak of wanting to get to a museum.  

Half Gallon Of Milk On Pavement

    I am the type that picks up trash. At midday while doing a walk downtown I saw a half gallon of milk on the pavement. So I put it in the nearest trash bin. I thought very little of this, until I saw another one at the end of my workday while waiting for the bus. But this time I left it alone. Was somebody trying to make some statement about hunger or waste? I have no idea.
   I watched just one episode of 'Big Bang Theory' tonight, as there was no show in primetime. Two and a half men was on for a full hour instead. The syndicated rerun of 'Bang' was one I had seen before, about how a lie backfired, involving a fake cousin Leopold. I shut off the TV and got some things done around my home, then went out for a walk around the neighborhood. I was planning on a long walk but it looked like it might rain, even though it didn't. I sent two grocery carts back to the store and picked up three pop can tabs. Then I went home and fell asleep in my easy chair, still a fine way to spend the evening.
   I had heard about Eminem releasing another album, and I found a song from it on Youtube, called 'Berzerk'. I will likely need to listen to it some more before I get used to it. I noticed he had samplings from a Billy Squier song. I liked a line where he asks if 'You Bozos are smart enough to feel stupid'. This is the kind of word-smithing that I really like about rap, making you think. I also heard a reference to the Kardashians in it, but Eminem is known for making fun of famous people. Before finding it I listened to 'Need a Doctor'. I like this one as it has plenty of passion, singing about and with his mentor Dr. Dre. 'You risked your career for me' really resonates with me.        

You Can Be Done Now

    I was onstage tonight at the comedy club. There was one comic before me who was unsure about how much time he had left. The show runner also is time keeper, and said 'You can be done now' and got a much bigger laugh than the comic- who I know for the 'Pump and Munch' joke-did. He said he couldn't leave the stage knowing somebody else got a better laugh. But I think he really had no choice since he couldn't think of anything funnier with the remaining time.
   I was at the state fair this afternoon, it was a team building event with my employer. It did lead to some jokes I did tonight. I liked seeing what was at the Fine Arts Building as usual. I voted for the 'Barbie doll as a flight attendant' artwork and liked the one of the truck stop in Eagleville, MO, which had slot machines and a chapel- right next to each other. Other notable sights included the $5 charge for whining sign at a food establishment in Heritage Square. I had to get a picture of that sign. With one colleague I was surprised to find out he plays tennis, when he mainly wants to say to me  'Cheer for the purple' (meaning, the Vikings). I am used to how we talk about what we value the most and first, so I didn't expect to ear how he actually plays a sport as he sounded just like a spectator.
As usual, I got a can of black pepper Spam, as the Spam exhibit has some offbeat flavors.

Inverted Jenny Stamp

    I was checking the Postal Service website earlier today for more first day covers and was surprised to find out what is due up soon: the inverted 'Jenny' stamp in September. I had heard before about collectibles that are worth more due to a mistake, since they had to stop making them. I am surprised that they are doing another version of an upside down plane, nearly 100 years later. As I recall it had currently the option of pre-ordering it, so it wouldn't arrive right away. The four baseball players from last year are still available there, so I won't necessarily have to go order those on E-bay.
    At the comedy club tonight the pregnant Southern girl was the MC. After the show she said she recognized my laugh. My 'bestie' was there as well. He led off with the 'Slowpoke' joke. The 'Bathtub' comic was a fill-in, and after the show I said I liked the 'Party Foul' joke that was on his CD. I hadn't heard it in a while. I said this is a really good example of how comedy has given me plenty, as it has helped me with how to talk. I have used this term a few times since hearing it from this comic. I did say it was not a joke how I was single again. I have heard this one before, hoe some things are just jokes. But usually I say to people if I am sharing something onstage that I wish I was making it up. This means it is painful to me, but less painful after I have shared it since I have released it.

Bus Schedule Change

    A colleague was checking the bus schedule and it reminded me to do the same. It looked like my route changed marginally, by just a minute or two in the morning and evening. So I won't need to be at the bus stop all that much earlier than before.
    At the comedy club tonight I found out the Belarus native did make the finals of the contest, which is scheduled for next week. I liked how the 'extra murder' comic brought back the funeral director jokes, as he grew up in such a family. He said it seemed appropriate to the theme, but for whatever reason I liked hearing them. I liked some of the jokes by the headliner more than others. I liked the ones how she doesn't cook and about vases, as it's pressure on boyfriends to fill them with flowers if not for a funeral. She said she is from Chicago.
   It was warm today, I could tell when I left work in the evening to catch the bus. Normally I would have found out at midday, but I didn't take my customary walk during lunchtime. I really hate to skip these as I know its good exercise, but I know I don't skip them that often. What is needed is allowing myself enough time to walk the bridges, as I am out of practice on doing so.            

Admission Movie, Tina Fey

   This was a rare two movie weekend for me. When I went to McDonald's for a late lunch I also went to return a Redbox movie. When I noticed they had 'Admission', starring Tina Fey, I decided to get it after I was done eating. It was all right but I am thankful I saw it on video and not at the theater. There seemed to be a lull in the middle. This was where I checked my watch, which told me I was at least a little bored with it. Good cast though, besides Tina Fey I also liked seeing Paul Rudd and Lily Tomlin. And I liked the actors playing her colleague- Gloria Reuben- and her boss- a bald guy who I've seen in funny roles before like in 'Princess Bride' but I can't think of his name. I guess it was a little too predictable for me, like how one application kept getting consideration despite the fact that it just didn't measure up.
   I did get started on going through my books and making a list of what I already have, which felt good. I still have a ways to go, but I liked getting started finally. Some of them are being moved to the office, as they are thin ones that aren't really books. These are more like travel souvenirs. Some are even what non-profits sent me in the mail, in hopes of getting donations, like Aesop's fables somehow related to Lincoln.     

West of Memphis Documentary

    I got a movie from Redbox tonight, 'West of Memphis'. At times it made me angry to know about all of the mistakes on the case, as I hate to hear about anyone who is wrongfully convicted. It was nice to hear about the famous people involved with freeing them, like Pearl Jam front-man Eddie Vedder. I liked what Henry Rollins, from Black Flag, said as to why he supported them as well. When it was mentioned what made them suspects- like being misfits and loners- he said it could easily describe him as well. I think there are many who say 'It could have been me' and I can say this as well. This is why I found the Social Distortion song, with this title, on Youtube.
   It also made me think of others who were convicted in 'the court of public opinion' even though they were innocent. People like Richard Jewell, after the Atlanta Olympic bombing, and the Duke lacrosse case. I recall when Mr. Jewell died he was still known for that event, even though he had been exonerated. It then reminded me of the feature on '60 Minutes', when the accused in the Duke case were interviewed. One of them said when he dies he will likely still be known for this, sadly. There was mention of The Innocence Project in this documentary, which helps to free the wrongfully convicted.  I think that DNA evidence helps to cut down on innocents being convicted, but of course for some it is too late. One must do what they can, though.
   I liked how I got plenty of errand running done today, like taking change to be counted and deposited at the bank. Then there was printing things at the library. In the evening I did make it to the Godfather's Pizza in Burnsville to have a free pizza as I had enough points on my loyalty card. It was 10 slices, so I did end up taking more than half of it home with me. This is fine, as it's three more meals for me. I even went to a Goodwill store and found the 'Nickel and Dimed' book. This will have more meaning to read now since I recently saw it as a play. I even saw some of the Fox Game of the Week, Red Sox-Dodgers from L.A., but I was tired and missed some of it due to falling asleep.    

Pabst Blue Ribbon Postcard

   I am still ordering some postcards, despite many recent orders being first day covers, from E-bay.  Two more postcards arrived today. One of them was of the Pabst Blue Ribbon casino at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. I liked it as it had an inset picture of 'The Maestro', unsure what meaning it has- then or now. But it still looks cool to me. This is number 8 on the postcards I have bought of this world's fair. There are likely some others I will order at some point, but there is so much available at this site that it can be hard to choose what to order if I want to stay within my budget each month. The other postcard was of Sportsman's Park in St. Louis as I like baseball as well. It is nice to see these old linen postcards, they have plenty of color to them.
   I did perform at an open-mic tonight, at a venue I had been to before but not in a while. It felt good to be there again, especially since the chance to perform there had been offered before. Also made it to the Chicago hot dog place, Chris and Rob's in St. Paul. Somebody tried to crack a weak joke about the way I was dressed and I said, after pausing, 'Please. You will have to do better than that, I actually do comedy'. This was as I was about to leave the place.  

National Park State Quarters

   More of my E-bay orders arrived today. Two of them were in the same envelope, as I had ordered some of those national park state quarters. I cheated a little as I had just been content with finding them when I get change. But these two were Mississippi and Puerto Rico, and neither one were from this year. I paid $3 for the quarters, so it wasn't that much over face value. I can think of it as the cost of shipping.
       I don't think this series has had as many minted as series one, from 1999-2008. According to Wikipedia there hasn't been as many. I liked the feeling of being caught up in my collection when I added them in the album, as I currently have 18. One of them was actually minted in San Francisco, and I know very little is minted there now as it is mostly just Denver and Philadelphia. I did see the order did say 'S' but this meant nothing to me until it arrived. The same is true with mention of  'Uncirculated' on the item description when ordering it. 
    I got the Nevada quarter when I got change at McDonald's this week. There are two more this year- Maryland and South Dakota. I will do my best to pay attention when those are circulated. Naturally I still want a page for the territory series from 2009, and I know I can order it on E-bay. Those six are still taped to an index card. But it can wait a little longer. The other order was a first day cover, of the Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg in 1999. I already had the earlier one held in that city, from 1967, but it was more like a postcard. There are two more orders on the way, both postcards I ordered this week.
   I took a walk after watching two episodes of 'Big Bang Theory' tonight. It was probably two miles round trip as I was out for 90 minutes. In addition, I liked seeing a comment on an entry from last year about loyalty programs, specifically airline miles. I noticed I had changed my mind since then, as I spoke of 'Liquidating' one account and exchanging the miles for Paypal money or gift cards. I think I decided not to do this was due to the fees involved. As the saying goes, nothing in life is free.          

Cancel The Popcorn

    When I was at the comedy club tonight I had to cancel the popcorn as I knew I had gained some weight and having it less often will be a good idea. The show closer was 'The best looking man in comedy'. I have seen him on billboards before, apparently he has done some TV commercials as well.
 According to City Pages, a local free publication, he is a celebrity. At least he is locally famous. I have heard a story from comedian friends about having a friend who wanted to meet somebody famous, and the response was 'I know this guy'.
     I did contact some people on Facebook about possibly appearing on their podcasts or their open-mic shows. I am hopeful to hear something positive soon. I know enough people who have one that I should be able to appear on one at some point. I know I have plenty to talk about in the allotted time, like all of the Charlie Brown and Snoopy collectibles I own. Or my hometown of Newton, Iowa, which to me seems to be a big memorial to Fred Maytag and Emerson Hough. I say this since so many things in town are named for them. And this is yet another set of collectibles that I have been acquiring, and can easily talk about.     

Fast Food Nation

   I went to Walgreen tonight and bought multiple items in order to get 2000 points for my loyalty program card. This included the movie 'Fast Food Nation' on DVD. I had seen it at the theater but haven't seen it since. I knew it was based on a book, that was also a series of magazine articles. There is an all star cast, including Greg Kinnear. I also recall Avril Lavigne, the singer, having a cameo. They cover the marketing part of it along with the serving of it, and even go to the slaughterhouses.
   Besides this, I also got more sheet protectors for stamp collecting as I had just run out- after getting two first day covers on Monday. The first item I picked up was a Hallmark book of 'Charlie Brown and Snoopy' notes. I needed to spend at least $10- and did- in order to get the points, according to a recent email.
   I went to the store after going to the comedy club. The show closer was also the show runner, the Mason City native. He did sort of give me a shout out, referring to somebody who sounded like Santa Claus as apparently I said 'Ho Ho Ho' after a joke. I said I say 'Yep' when I agree but I am not laughing- a 'Sad but true'. And it's a 'Wow' for a risqué joke. He said this response means it's a genius joke, I said I like that. I said I was Jabba the Hutt as this was another part of the shout out. I liked how I heard the 'I'm not Neil' joke from an earlier comic again. I kept laughing throughout when he was telling it.          

Postage Stamps From Israel

   Three of my E-bay orders arrived earlier today, and one of them was from Israel, a first day cover. I don't think I had seen stamps from Israel before. There are two on the envelope. One has a flower on it. The other appears to be marking an anniversary, in French it says '150 years of the Israeli Universal Alliance'. There is a black and white group picture, and next to it is a full color picture of palm trees outside a building. It was sent from the town of Haifa, and I can name few towns there besides Tel Aviv. With the other two, it was a first day cover and a postcard of the grave of Ann Rutledge, wo was part of the Abraham Lincoln story. Little else was notable about the mail today. But I am used to it by now. There are days when all I get is E-bay orders, or nothing at all. I like it when there is no junk mail to shred, although shredding can be fun as well.
   At the comedy club tonight, I did see a performer who happens to be a contestant in the club's semifinal round. He is a Belarus native and did his routine with an accent. I also saw a comic now based in California, originally from Wisconsin, who does a podcast. I expressed interest in being a part of it at some point.  

Fort Snelling

   I went to Fort Snelling with my dad after church today. They had a nice meal in the basement after services so we stayed for it, it was a free will offering. It included some little potatoes that I really like. This was at the Central Presbyterian Church in downtown St. Paul. There was work on the organ so worship was in a smaller room, I knew it had been a fellowship hall. It was the first time I had seen the basement.
   I had seen Fort Snelling before, but I think it was the first time since 2009. It was their Civil War weekend, it was nice to see the costumed re-enactors marching and shooting rifles and a cannon. There is a nice view from some parts of the fort. It started with an orientation video at the visitor center and I finished the tour there as well, since I wanted to look at souvenirs. I did buy 3 postcards. We went straight to the airport right after being at the fort since it was nearby. I didn't do a 'Drop and leave' visit as I wanted a more proper goodbye than this. So I saw that he was checked in for the flight, a boarding pass, and the bag checked as well. Then we went our separate ways after he entered the line to go through security.
   It was still a full day for me as I had a first date in the evening, at Pizza Luce. Don't know if I had been to one before, it was the one in uptown Minneapolis. We had nice conversation for a while, and then a walk back to my car where we said our final words for the night.                       

Search For Beer After The Game

    It was hard to find a place selling beer after the baseball game this evening, eventually we went to a Super-America and they had some Miller in a quart bottle. Four others were closed for the night or didn't have it, and we had to get to SA before midnight.

    I went to the Twins baseball game with my dad tonight, they lost to the White Sox 8-5. We did take the light rail from Fort Snelling so we didn't have to drive in and pay for parking. We liked meeting some people on the train after the game, one of them was somebody that recognized me from the comedy clubs. He said he was a camera operator at the game. Another said she had been an intern with the other area team, the St. Paul Saints. Now she works for the company that owns Play It Again Sports. Our seats at the game were in the home run porch in left field, we were near the top of the seating.
   It was a fairly active day, but I preferred it this way. I needed to pick up some supplies at Walgreen, so we went there before seeing things like what is downtown. We found the farmers market, which was near the site of the future Saints baseball stadium. The demolition of the shampoo factory is still ongoing. There was somebody who apparently had suffered a seizure at the farmers market. It looked like they were  being attended to, as somebody was trying to flag down a cop. Nearby was the Union Depot, as expected my dad liked seeing it as he likes railroads. There was a display in a case of various artifacts, I liked it and it appeared to be a new thing. I was over on my time at the parking meter, but no ticket so this was a lucky break. After lunch at Burger King it was off to the Jackson Street Roundhouse and did the excursion ride on the caboose which was by the roundhouse. I did get some souvenirs, some postcards and a button of the Great Northern railroad logo- blue and white, with a mountain goat.       

First Time Guest Set

   I did my first guest set at one of the comedy clubs I frequent. It was the late show. My dad saw me do comedy for the first time, he kept telling me he had wanted to. He liked the one about coming from a family that has been coming to Minnesota for a while. It dates back to his favorite uncle, a bachelor, who hopped trains during the Depression in New Ulm. This is a town I like to visit for Oktoberfest. I also did one about being at the writer's convention last week, had run out of time at the open-mic night for it earlier this week. It went fairly well but I was used to seeing a time light to know how much time was left. I can adjust though, as I've done it before.
   My dad is in town for the weekend, met him at the airport after work in the early evening. I wasn't home for long as I knew I needed to get to the airport. I picked up my postal mail and responded to one email and that was it. After we were done there we went to eat dinner at the Subway near my home. I did hear some about how my siblings are doing, unfortunately not that well. My sister's house is poorly kept and apparently now has three dogs and some cats. I had heard about two dogs, and that alone sounded like it was too hard to handle for anyone.  

Governor Branstad Speeding

    I heard from my dad by voicemail and he wanted to tell me about a commercial related to Iowa governor Terry Branstad in a speeding SUV. I had heard about the state trooper who stopped the vehicle was fired. It did make me laugh when I found it on Youtube, as it was set to the tune of 'East bound and down' by Jerry Reed, from the movie 'Smokey and the Bandit'. One of the comments said it will be a fun election. Apparently this was a commercial done by a political opponent, but the election will not be until next year. I used to live in Iowa but I of course no longer pay much attention to the politics there as I can no longer vote for or against them.
    Went to the St. Paul Saints game tonight, they beat Sioux Falls 12-8 but the Saints led 12-3 entering the 9th. I went as it was German Night. There were some Hasselhoff references like the karaoke guy doing 'Hooked on a feeling', apparently a song David Hasselhoff once sang. It reminds me of the joke on the 'Weekend update' portion of 'Saturday Night Live' as the anchor liked to say 'Germans sure do like David Hasselhoff' as he starred in the two most popular shows there: 'Knight Rider' and 'Baywatch'. I was getting annoyed by the man sitting behind me as he was a 'Doomsayer'- rappers might call him a 'Hater' as he kept saying to his companion 'Told you', predicting the Saints would find a way to lose like the previous night, when it went 12 innings and 4 hours. The man next to them was no better, being critical of a dropped infield fly ball and giving a 'Nervous laugh' about it. I do my best to ignore these kinds of people as they bring out the worst in me.
   This brings me to the grouchy woman on the bus this morning. When she had to move, per the driver's request, she asked why the aisles were so narrow. The driver said she didn't build it, and asked if she wanted to get out now. If not, then be quiet. I liked how the driver had a 'No nonsense' attitude towards her. Many just put up with her.
   At lunchtime I felt bad about seeing some food and drink on top of a newspaper box, I threw both items out. It looked like the hot dog hadn't been eaten at all and the can of soda pop was open but nearly full.            

Property Tax Refunds

   At lunchtime I mailed four items. Two of them were property tax refund forms. In recent years it now appears that I am eligible for one. Previously, I was not, and for this reason I hadn't filed one before. I also got registered for my employer's outing at the state fair later this month, by responding to a survey. It was first available on Tuesday and I didn't want to wait too long on responding since I expect there would be a deadline eventually. I covered for my 'Work spouse' today, and I liked doing that as it meant my day was busier. I did the special requests, and there was 14 of them waiting for me when I got back from lunch.  One of them was a copy and fax request, the others were payoffs.
   At the comedy club tonight I was onstage and I liked trying some new jokes out. I said I needed to do all of my jokes where I mention my dad now as it would be a bad idea to do them when he is in town. One crowd member predicted that I would be famous someday, I said 'Thank you'. It reminds me of how I have done the joke before about Warhol's quote- 'everyone is famous for 15 minutes' as it feels like I have been famous for a little longer than this.
   I placed an E-bay order and it was canceled right away, for a first day cover. The seller said it was damaged and he would try to find another one. I liked how he was up-front with me, as it is necessary in the E-bay community if one wants to sell anything as all of us get rated by the other users. It would take a while for it to arrive anyway, as it was coming from Hong Kong.

Lindsey Stirling

     I just watched another video of Youtube, it was a Lindsey Stirling song. It was 'Radioactive', a cover of the Imagine Dragons song. This was a collaboration with Pentatonix, who sang the words while Lindsey does what she does best, play the violin. In all honesty, it was all right but I liked her cover of 'My Immortal' by Evanescence more as it was mostly her on the violin. She did have other musicians, as she was accompanied by a piano but there were no words. I liked reading her story on Wikipedia, being discovered on 'America's got talent' and then promoting herself online. I was intrigued when I saw mention in the airline magazine this weekend. What caught my eye was her album cover, going for the attractive but still a little nerdy look, sitting next to her violin on a bench.
   I saw a decent number of friends at the comedy club tonight, including the Oklahoma native that does the 'Balding' joke though now he just speaks of being bald. Later on it was the Fargo native, who said she could have benefited from being taught about gay men in school. This would have prevented her from trying to sleep with so many of them in college. The Yemen native did a joke about being a citizen now, how he's no longer afraid of being deported for jaywalking. I liked seeing some of the Cardinals-Pirates baseball game on TV after the show was done.       

Proxy Server Not Responding

      I have had an error message off and on for about three weeks now that my 'Proxy server is not responding'. So I finally decided to call Century Link, my Internet provider, about it again. Earlier, they said they needed to have it plugged in, and it isn't when I am not using it. In that case I was calling from work so I was unable to go plug it in right away of course. The call took longer than it should have, about 45 minutes. In the end, I got my Internet browser up before it was recommended by the operator to uncheck (or bypass) the proxy server once I was informed where I could find it.
   At the comedy club tonight an early comic I said was trying too hard and doing too many puns. I liked hearing from the 'Extra murder' comic who did talk about visiting a strip club and dealing with a crowd member. So he kept saying 'ooh' and after he was onstage I also suggested 'Like a seal barking it up' if this sounds enough like it. The show closer was the music major turned bartender. He did bring back the one about singing in Italian as a pickup line and this was the way to unhook a woman's bra. It reminded me of another one he has done before where he sings like an opera singer after being stabbed, where he stays on a swear word so it is drawn out.           

Writer's Convention, Final Day

    This was the final day of the writer's convention in Chicago. There was plenty to cover in the plenary session, and we finished just before our target end time at 2pm. Our president reminded us how the dining hall was closing at 1pm so we had to recess so we could have lunch, that we ad already paid for.
   After I checked out of the room I started walking over to the lakefront, and found Buckingham Fountain. I said I had plenty of time before my flight left Midway Airport, so I found my way over to Navy Pier so I could get a smashed penny souvenir. Then I noticed there was a Harry Caray's bar nearby, so I watched the rest of the Cubs-Cardinals game there, Cardinals won 8-4. The Twins-White Sox game was on as well, Twins won 5-2.
   After the game was over I knew I had to start making tracks back to the Loop to get a train to Midway. I did but there was a problem with my card. I knew full well there was enough for one fare but the machine wouldn't read it. So I had to pay again, which of course was annoying. I still made it to Midway more than an hour before my flight left. In addition, it was moved to another gate and arrived a little late. I made it back to the Twin Cities after 9pm. There were some more departures listed on the monitor but not a lot, about forty for the entire main terminal. Most of the food establishments had already closed for the night. But I had eaten at Midway anyway, a fish sandwich from McDonald's.
  When I got back I saw how there was very little mail of note. I did get an alumni magazine from the University of Iowa, but most of the rest of it was basically junk.     

Follow Your Heart, Brett Dennen

   I just came back from the CVS across the street to get some postcards, cashews, and some Snapple. I liked a song I heard while there. Found out it was 'Follow your heart' by Brett Dennen. 'Follow your heart and you won't get lost'. I think I've been doing this more than I was earlier in my life. It tells a nice story about having been through many trials in life. What I like is that it still offers a way out of any hardships, as it does offer a solution that was likely acquired due to the experience gained.

   I like how music is everywhere, including and especially cities like Chicago. I passed by a place called 'The bar below' on State Street tonight after I had eaten at the Panda Garden. There was a sign out front that mentioned having comedy shows, but it was the music that I noticed first. It started with a version of Radiohead's 'Creep' and then continued with 'Welcome to paradise' by Green Day. Really all I did was walk around downtown and soaking up all of the atmosphere, all of the activity. 

    It was a turbulent day at the writer's convention, to say the least. There was plenty of debate on some of the resolutions put before the plenary session. I was recognized during the debate on one of these, and I suggested an amendment be added. Others moved and seconded it, so I can't take much credit for it. This later became a moot point, however, as the resolution was voted down. I asked my colleague to my left if I had opened up a can of worms, but he said it was already open and I think he was right. Due to the debating on what was described as controversial issues, it meant some things were not covered today and were moved back a day. We did get to some other issues, like strategic planning. The group I was in decided to look at our website to see what works and what doesn't. There were many things we suggested that would improve it, based on what is common on other sites I've used. For lack of a better term, we want to make it more user-friendly, in hopes of attracting more members to our organization. Nothing wrong with this at all.    

Nickel And Dimed Play

    This evening I went to see a play version of the book 'Nickel and Dimed'. It was in the Lincoln Park section of Chicago, at Greenhouse Theater and presented by Tangleknot Theater. Since I knew it was near the Biograph Theater, where Dillinger was shot, I ran down there before the show began. It didn't take long to get there and back. I was there long enough to get some pictures, including the plate saying it's on the National Register of Historic Places.

   I don't think I've read the book yet, written by Barbara Ehrenreich. I have bought some of her other books though, like 'Bright Sided' and 'Bait and Switch'. As I now live in the Twin Cities I liked how it did cover this area, when she was working at a store called 'Mall-mart', of course in reference to Walmart. It was unexpected when the play stopped briefly to interact with the crowd. But it still seemed to work for me. Since for some it is not entertainment, but their life. While walking back to the van that took us there, I was one of five who went, I did my best to soak in the neighborhood. I heard a Rihanna song coming out of one place, it was 'S and M'. And when I got back my key card didn't work for the room. A maintenance man got me in with the passkey, not sure what the problem was.

   I had no meeting to attend in the morning so I went to do some urban exploring. I did find the post office, and printed 3 postage stamps. But I used just one to mail a postcard to myself, three was the minimum. Many of the buildings I passed by were designated a Chicago landmark. I tried to get pictures of as many as possible. I did make it over to the Merchandise Mart, and got pictures of all 8 of the 'Pez heads' in their Hall of Fame. This included the likes of Aaron Montgomery Ward and Frank Woolworth. I did go inside and got a free sample of tea at one place. At the food court I got a bag of BBQ chips and a drink at the Billy-goat Tavern, made famous by the 'Cheeseburger' skit on 'Saturday Night Live'. I had an Oreo McFlurry at McDonalds.

   Our legislative session did get started, in the afternoon. Some items on the agenda are being moved back due to the shortage of time. Not too many things to vote on just yet. Also notable was getting an email claiming to be from our ex-treasurer. It said she had been mugged in the Philippines and needed money. I ignored it, can't be too careful with email.

University Center, Chicago

    I had plenty to do before catching my flight to Chicago for the writer's convention. I did dishes, took out trash and recycle, and got a haircut. Can't forget my visit to the library to print more items so I would be up to speed before arrival. I liked how I found a way to get it all done, but it wasn't easy in addition to packing. Really the only missing item was a stamp so I could mail myself a postcard, but I went online after arrival and found out there is a post office near me downtown. 

     The flight was nice, I got plenty of reading done. I spoke with my seatmate as well, an elderly woman who said she was flying to London, England to visit family who are stationed in the military nearby. After arrival at O'Hare, I got on a train and was a little worried at first when hearing some shouting. It was a younger man who said he had just been released from Rush- I guess he meant the hospital- and had a leg infection but wasn't homeless. He got off shortly after this, and the shouting ended fairly quickly. 

    On the way to the convention site I saw a store giving out free samples of popcorn so I had some. I checked into my room and my roommate arrived shortly after I did. He is from San Francisco much like at the last convention two years go but it is somebody different. I must be memorable as he said 'you're the comedian' upon arrival.  

    There hasn't been much activity yet. I had dinner in the evening and went to the book division meeting after it and it ran long. It is the first time I had heard of the place where I am staying, the University Center in downtown Chicago. Apparently there is sharing of resources by various nearby colleges like Robert Morris and Roosevelt. While typing I see some college-age people having fun at the pool tables. First time I had seen a computer with a rubber keyboard, it is something I am trying to get used to.         

Body Scan Weigh-In

  Today was the last day to do a body scan weigh-in at work. I got mine done in the afternoon. It was a disappointing result as there was a gain of two and a half pounds since late May, when I had most recently done the scan. But I will do my best to do something about it soon. Best to evaluate my diet and exercise habits first. It was easier for me to wait until the final day as it was also my final day of the week in the office since I am doing the convention for the rest of the week. I like to see how things are 'cleaned up' before I am out of the office, sometimes it means staying a few extra minutes until satisfied. And of course it ends with putting up the high and low tech 'out of office' signs at my workspace.  
   At the comedy club tonight I saw a comic I hadn't seen in a while, who uses a stage name. We spoke outside the venue before the show. I think he is based out of Kansas. When he spoke of Milwaukee I said it made me think of the comic that I call 'The Milwaukeean', and yes he had worked with him. He had done a show in Shakopee recently and said he was back for a few weeks before heading onto the road again. Hopefully he 'keeps it squishy'. He said something about living in the area, or at least his lady does. It does seem to be another item to add to the argument about how I am in many ways the 'Norm' of the comedy circuit, since I know many people.

Released Balloons, Musical Chairs

   I went to the National Night Out event in my neighborhood tonight. I knew I needed to go to it eventually after being online for a little while after work. I got a hot dog and what equaled a whole cookie, and shortly thereafter they were done serving food. They started to close up shop kind of early as there was a threat of rain. I saw the kids playing musical chairs. As they were taking down the tent they also released the balloons. I followed their flight as long as I could. This did remind me of when we released balloons in elementary school. A note was included in hopes that whoever found it would contact us so then we knew how far it traveled. In many ways it was meant to be an educational exercise, at least I understand this now.
   At the comedy club tonight, a friend was MC- the one that does the neck tattoo joke. The headliner had a CD out as of recently, and does the joke about hiding his lady's birth control pills in her cake. I already have four CDs made by comedian friends. There are likely a few more that I would like to have, unsure if this one is on my list as don't see this comic quite as much as the others. It is infrequent at best.          

New Hire No-Go

   Early this morning at work I got an email from my boss saying the new hire was a no-go. Not sure why, other than he may have had another offer. He was scheduled to begin today. So it means they will be interviewing again and it means getting by a little longer, like two weeks or so. It hasn't been that big of a deal to et by wit who we've got. But I know they want someone in place so we have coverage for the holiday season, when many of us are using up vacation days before year-end.   
   At the comedy club tonight I was asked about the movie that I have been cast for. I said I hadn't heard anything lately as to specifically when the filming will be happening. At this point I understand it would be in September, but trying to figure out how schedules will work for all of those involved. When it is still a little way off, it is best to describe it as 'still in flux'.
    One comic sure looked familiar, a middle-aged woman who tried to act like a dominatrix as she had a whip on stage. But I commented to another comic near me that it felt like she was trying too hard. The Cardinals were on TV at the bar, playing the Dodgers. There was plenty at the bottom of the screen- it was on ESPN- about the suspensions due to drug use, especially about 'A-Rod'. But he plans to appeal his suspension.

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You

    I rented a Redbox movie this afternoon, 'Someday this pain will be useful to you'. I had seen a preview for it but didn't get around to seeing it in theaters. But this tends to happen with arthouse movies as they usually are in limited release. It had a good cast. I liked seeing Marcia Gay Harden in it as well as Lucy Liu and Ellen Burstyn. It took a while but eventually I did hear the movie title as an actor's line, as expected it was said to the main character. Lucy Liu played a life coach or therapist that counseled the main character, a teenager who said he didn't want to attend college. She helped with bringing out the story of what happened on a trip to D.C., something he had been unwilling to discuss with anyone before then. It was one reson why he said he didn't want to attend college. I liked hearing one song in particular in it, 'Love is requited' by Elisa, in the closing credits. 'Maybe sorrow is my gain, and I'm learning from the pain, but I'm ready to move on.' The special features even had a video of this song in it.

   I made it back to my employer's fitness center for the first time in a while. It wasn't for long, just a few minutes, as it was near closing time. I also heard from my college roommate out east. He said he would be in the Midwest in a few weeks, apparently to do his fantasy football draft. I had to ask where he works again, found out it wasn't at a super collider but at a 'cyclotron'. It is still something that I am sure few are qualified to do, but I know he is a sharp guy.
   This evening I went to a Minnesota Fringe Festival show, and many of my comedian friends were in it. When I was looking for show cards to collect after the show, I saw two of them as they were leaving. I spoke with both briefly before we went out separate ways to find our cars. It is likely the only show I am attending in the festival, as I will be busy for much of the upcoming week. I told myself how I wanted to see a show this year, and I narrowed the list to comedy in case any of the people I know would be in shows. Since he show has a vulgar title I likely wouldn't have attended it if just looking at titles. There are over a hundred shows going on so one has plenty to choose from. I saw some crowdmembers near me who said they were 'collecting' the shows the main character's wife is in, as this one was one of five.  

Shirtless Dancing Fool With Kilt

    This morning I went back to the Canadian Days festival, in Little Canada. It's because I wanted to do the pancake breakfast and see the bagpipe band from their sister city, Thunder Bay. I already had my festival button from the previous day so I didn't need another one for the pancakes. As expected, it was good that we got in line as early as we did, as we were sitting down with the pancakes before the bagpipe band came marching down the street to play in the park. I recognized one song as 'Scotland The Brave', after searching for bagpipe music on Youtube in the past year. There was no dancing girl this year, though she still seemed to be there taking pictures up close of the band. Last year a crowd member said she had injured her knee.

   There was a shirtless dancing fool with a kilt at this event, much like in a previous year but can't recall which one. But it was a green kilt, and the ones worn by the bagpipers are red. It was nice to see somebody enjoying themselves, though I did keep my distance from him. I did get a picture of this man. I once knew the town drunk in my hometown in small-town Iowa, so I wasn't sure if he belonged in the same category.
   It was nice to see some old haunts today in this town as I am a former resident of Little Canada. I decided to drive past the apartment building I lived in. But this is a small suburb so I'm not sure what I have for old haunts besides this festival. It did get me thinking about the ones I have in other areas, like St. Paul's East Side. So in the evening I went to have some Little Caesar's pizza, actually across the road in Maplewood. I wanted to have some since one much closer to me had closed recently. Then it was to get the Blizzard of the month at Dairy Queen, Smores, and the Dairy Queen wasn't too far away.
   I saw a friend at the clubs this week that suggested I see a show this weekend, since I saw the same comic in Sioux Falls last week. So I did tonight. I like seeing the weekend shows as there are longer sets than at open-mics.
   In other issues, I ended a relationship today. This is something that I take no joy whatsoever in doing. I said I was fine with remaining friends, as we did have some things in common that I greatly valued. This definitely includes history, attending museums and such. And as Forrest Gump said, 'And that's all I've got to say about that.'               

Irish Temper, Polish Humor

   I went to Canadian Days tonight, in Little Canada, after I finished with work for the day. I did make it in time to partake of the corn on the cob feed. While there I saw a man with a shirt on that said 'Warning: Irish temper, Polish humor'. I have a good idea what this means, as it suggests a really bad combination. I have heard 'get their Irish up' before. I was wearing my buttons from 1976 and 1985, in addition to this year's, but nobody noticed. Or at least nobody commented about it.

   I was at the festival for about an hour, and had some pizza as well from one of the food trailers. After the event, I went to do laundry. I could tell that the other patrons were fully aware of when the doors would lock up as they all left for a while and came back right before the doors locked. I stayed there the entire time except to use the bathroom at a nearby business. Naturally, I finished with the washing and drying well before they did.
    There is plenty of plywood up covering what had been the windows. I got a picture of it when I was outside. I am unsure as to why and how long it will be up. Also noticed how they took down what is best described as areas to plant flowers, where the glass had met the rest of the wall. It was just as well, since I often found trash in this area. I would pick up this trash and then place it in the metal trash cans inside the laundry facility.   

Pierre Trudeau Letter

    The events I did this evening after watching 2 episodes of 'Big Bang Theory' were truly a case of running out of time. First on the list was an ice cream social in Little Canada, sort of a kickoff for Canadian Days, as the festival is this weekend. I arrived about 10 minutes before the end of the event and was told they were out of ice cream, apparently it was sponsored by Culver's. There was a puppet show for the kids near this shelter house, it was from Roseville and on the back of a truck. I did get pictures of the puppet show. 

   Next was the town's history center, where I had hoped to see displays about the festival but there weren't any. I liked seeing a Montgomery Ward magazine ad on the wall, I got a picture of it. Aside from this, a notable item was a letter from Canadian Prime Minster Pierre Trudeau. It was from 1978 and referred to the festival. My dad spoke well of Trudeau. Near the front desk was a Sunday edition newspaper article from the Toronto paper, pulished in July 2007. Mention was made of the festival there as well.
   After stopping at Walgreen for some drain opener for the bathroom sink, it was on to Super-America for food and fuel. I did make it to the library before closing, but had less than 10 minutes to print a few things. So I didn't get to all of the things on my list, but I can try again this weekend when I have the time for it. I did see to it that the highest priority things were printed tonight. Since I will be nearby for the festival it will be easier to justify going back to print some more items.