fluid bottle hiked up

 in the afternoon i was getting an error on the inserter machine at work, low fluid. i decided to hike up the bottle and it worked; it managed to last through the end of the day. then i can swap out the bottle in the morning when i have more time to meet deadlines. i liked how it was a fairly low volume day on check printing. vacation replacement was not in, saw an email early saying 'working from home' due to a visit from a plumber. in the evening i went to perform at an open mic. i saw a guitar player for the first time in a while, who does 50's inspired music. when the show runner sang a Dave Loggins tune i said i had it on a compilation CD, because 'the night Chicago died' was a hit that same year and on the same disc. i did stories about the bank, a pharmacy liquidation sale, a meat market, and going to the Saints game. during my walks i found 25 cents. at work the building events for the new month were announced, no popcorn event in July as it is too close to the holiday. this led to me getting a small bag of popcorn out of the vending machine at work. it was my mid-morning snack, along with the customary granola bar. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon and Leonard cleaned penny's apartment. it was followed by the one where penny got a free chair and then said 'what's up buttercup' to Sheldon after Sheldon tried to remove it, hearing it was a throwaway. 

pancakes then rest

 in the morning i did the pancake breakfast at Kaposia days in south St. Paul and got the button, it says 50 years. i got some pictures as usual, there was the lion mascot from the Lions club. another was of some of the St. Paul winter carnival ambassadors. i got a look at the new cars at this dealership, which sells Chrysler brands. much like before, i am reminded of how those sticker prices are usually more than what i make a year. this is why i have bought used cars. it was nice chatting with an older couple who was at the same table as me. i spoke of some other festivals i plan on attending this summer. i was there for about an hour, arriving just after the breakfast began. it was long enough to do what i wanted to do. i drove past the stockyard gates before leaving town, not far from the dealer. i didn't do much else for the rest of the day, mostly resting. also got some event tickets ordered, and reservations made. then it meant going to the copy store to print these four items. i stopped at a Walgreen for string cheese, ice cream, and a bottle of Dunkin donuts coffee as well. except i didn't like the ice cream being locked up, as there was a wait for a store employee to unlock it. i already don't buy soap there for that reason, and i guess i might have to add ice cream to that list. late in the evening i did the dishes. during my walks i found 1 dollar 51 cents. 

health mart pharmacy

 in the morning i went to a health mart pharmacy that will be closing soon, the one on west 7th in St. Paul. it had been on the news because the business has been around for over a century. i recall a pharmacy in my hometown being an independent franchisee of health mart as well. i bought two items there, some razors and a sticker. it would have been three, but the Charlie Brown portrait was out of my price range and i didn't want to haggle over it. as the saying goes, 'if you have to ask you probably won't like the answer'. there was no price tag on it but there was on the two items i bought, so no mystery on those two. then it was on to the post office, two orders were picked up. i also heard about some window employees who have already retired or will be retiring soon. with two of them i liked one but not the other, the third i didn't know that well. then on to the former work site with the bank, except i get there and find out the toner cartridge is one that i can't use. it is laser jet and that can't be used for check printing. i said to the branch employee it can be returned to the sender. i stayed in town for a little while after this first stop. i tried finding a festival button but went to five places and no luck. although the fifth one had more information than the others did. i bought some cookies and Gatorade at the meat market, and it sure smells like the cookies have been in the meat market for a while. then i left town and had lunch at the taco bell in Eagan, loco tacos. i went home and rested for a little while, then got up to get groceries at the Aldi. had to move that one up as i wanted to get to the St. Paul Saints baseball game. actually, it was a double header as a rainout from earlier in the series was being made up. it meant starting two hours earlier than originally scheduled and shown on my ticket. saints played Louisville, and it was a split. saints lost the lid lifter, 7-3, but the saints won the nightcap, 5-4. the long ball played a big role in both games. i liked doing the food truck thing again after the second game was done, going to 'dine 1-1' like before. i got fries and a 7-up this time, the slushie from before wasn't satisfying. between games i got a chili cheese dog and some root beer and old Dutch chips. i chatted with a ticket sales employee before entering the stadium. it was nice hearing music throughout the event. there was 'walking on sunshine' on the way in, being played at the nearby farmer's market. then Eminem's 'berzerk' as the second game began, and katy perry's 'firework' during the fireworks show. during my walks i found 1 dollar 75 cents. 

dragon fruit vitamin water

 in the morning i went to Walgreen to get some cookies and a drink. this time i bought a bottle of vitamin water, dragon fruit. i wanted something fairly low calorie, and there was not a lot to choose from. i not only drank it with the peanut butter cookie in the morning, but also with my lunch. backlog of checks has been eliminated, except there was a delay on getting the Fargo files. thankful the volume across the two files was just over a thousand so i still had enough time to print them and send them out same day. there was a late request to pull twenty-two checks from a fraud file. i could have said no but i noticed my boss was copied on it. i was told that those were duplicated from the previous day. i had already run them through the machine but not in the tubs yet, and it meant going by payees when already in envelopes. i noticed two of them were less than a dollar, but most were for way more than that. it meant some checks did not go out as i wanted the time to find the duplicated ones as it sounded like a high priority. there must be some new people in that department as their files have been late the past two days. in some cases, late enough that i have to print them the next morning. while i was waiting for the Fargo files i did the overnight labels early, in order to stay busy. it was nice to have those out of the way, and it meant i could leave a little earlier as there were no overnights in the second i-pay file. in the evening i went to get groceries at the Hy-Vee in Eagan and reminded myself to bring the envelope with the gift cards in it. another one was used so now it is down to two partials and one full card. during my walks i found 1 dollar 12 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when we see the friends doing group karaoke, much of it was baby related as Bernadette is with child. it was followed by the one where penny does a hemorrhoid ad. 

tiger portraits

 i see all kinds of things when out for a walk. this morning it was two tiger portraits, next to a dumpster. i got a picture of it. one of them was two Siberian tigers, the other was three white tigers and two of them were cubs. i see getting pictures as a way of taking it home without actually having to. this was true of some other 'dumpster art' i saw earlier this month, the one of a man praying that is seen in the background of scenes in 'young Sheldon'. i found out that one is called 'grace'. i had hoped to find a postcard version of that one online but i haven't. only available copies appear to be larger ones. at work i was surprised to see the boss in the shop in the morning, but as usual he doesn't seem to stay the entire day in there. and i was ordered to call in a ticket about the door, as it wasn't locking properly. it has to be pushed or pulled all the way through. vacation replacement noticed it a few days earlier as well. it wasn't too big a deal to me, but when the boss says to do something i do it. backlog of checks went down, it is now just over five hundred. there was an event sponsored by the building manager on the main floor, i went for just a few minutes around midday. i picked up a cowbell and a paper fan on a wooden stick and then i left. there was a granola bar included with the bell, both were in a small sack. i had the can of surly with the evening meal and got two more cans of beer at the nearby liquor store, another surly as well as a bud ice, so now five beers are waiting. during my walks i found 55 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when we see a valentines day edition of 'fun with flags'. it was followed by the one where it was likely a season finale, as we hear Priya is moving back to India. 

retirement card signed

 no, not my retirement. i went to another floor in the morning after vacation replacement dropped off some returned checks for me. i knew there was goodies on that floor, i had some of those. this included a cupcake and some melon and pineapple chunks. i also signed the big retirement card, although i had to clean the frosting off the marker first. it led to a reminder of what was likely the first retirement i had witnessed, it was in elementary school. the school's librarian was retiring, and we saw the letter being written on an overhead projector as i recall, saying 'we hope all of your days in Texas are good ones'. she was planning on moving out of state after retiring. i know this is what other retirees do, as my parents all moved after reaching retirement. my colleague said she likes work but knew it was time for the next chapter in her life. as expected, i had time for only one visit to that floor as i am busy in the check shop all of the time. but i felt like i made it count. the backlog went down on the checks, a little over two thousand that were carried over to the next day. i sent out three regular mail tubs. i was also asked about a returned overnight envelope. i said i didn't have it just yet, but later in the day it was delivered to me by the mailroom. no surprise, it was beyond my control. the check was sent to an 'access point' and stayed there for two weeks, and it was returned to me as no one picked it up during that window of opportunity. it led me to 'returning it to the business line' which i have done many times before, another overnight label to create. during my walks i found 82 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when 'mee-maw' meets Amy and Sheldon finally stands up for Amy. it was followed by the one where Howard's mom is in the hospital, the one i have named as my favorite episode from this series. i think it is due to Bernadette saying 'me?' when Howard's mom wants to see her first, and she gets assertive with Howard. 

unexpected airline miles

 we had a luncheon for the colleague who is retiring, postponed from last week. we walked to a place in the skyway that i hadn't been to before, afro deli, although I've heard of it. when i got home i checked my hotmail account and found out i got airline miles from what i ordered, a pita or gyro with fries. guess this place is part of the dining for miles program. since the boss likes to go to lunch early, it was earlier than when i typically go to lunch. and it was a longer lunch than what i normally take, i am used to thirty minutes and this was more like ninety. the Fargo files were late, available to print right before i needed to leave. and it was a high-volume day as well. i sent out as much as i could, but nearly four thousand checks were left over. the smaller file went out in full but none of the larger file did. i had to chip away at it, a thousand here and there, to get it all printed by the end of the day. there is always the opportunity to get caught up the next day. even though this was a colleague that i didn't know that well, it was still a good idea to be there, i told myself. vacation replacement did not attend, was told due to back problems. during my walks i found 26 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon went on an apology tour in order to get invited on a party bus with the friends. it was followed by the one where bernadette was a double agent on a double date, although it led to a lie about who penny was dating, auto-correct said 'astronaut' instead of 'architect'. 

we have bandaids

 at work i was asked by vacation replacement if we had band aids in the shop. i said we did, made sure to move them over from the former site. some were used when returned checks were dropped off. i had them in a drawer and put them out on the counter. the backlog went down on the stubs from payroll, as i knocked it down to just the single pages. most of them had overflow pages, bumping it up to two or even three pages in one envelope. near the end of the day i noticed one check file was approved, i printed it but not enough time to send out same day. it was the Canadian file, and i don't know if it shows up as a 'red line' on the dashboard if not printed in the same day so no big deal to print it. the volume was just under fifty checks; this made the decision easier to make. the Fargo check volume was small, the two files combined was under a thousand. in the evening i went to perform. i did stories about a couch, going to the car show, the karaoke cruise, and my day off for the bank holiday. i stayed longer than typical after the show ended, chatting with the older dude who would often play a guitar and perform a song about the jetsons. although that song wasn't done this time. during my walks i found 77 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon and raj discovered an asteroid. it was followed by the one where amy has a smoking monkey and kisses sheldon, then threw up. she tells hom to play dirty, related to leonard dating priya. 

santa fe trail movie

 there wasn't much on the docket for the day, and this was fine with me as it was still warm outside. around midday, after having the second half of the sandwich, i put in a DVD movie. it was a recent purchase from goodwill, 'Santa Fe trail'. chose this one as it includes Ronald Reagan, and Errol Flynn. those two were in a love triangle, Reagan as George Custer and Flynn as Jeb Stuart. this was more about abolitionist john brown and how he met his end. these recent graduates of west point were then assigned to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, and this led to the encounters with john brown and his followers. not the first Reagan movie i own, also have the one called 'winning team', as it is about baseball. i know, shocking. there are likely more to be found on disc as this is the actor that became president. after this was done i turned on the college world series. the game was already on progress but it was still early. there had already been an ejection by then, actually two, both were coaches for coastal carolina. LSU trailed early, but went on to win the game and the series. in the early evening i went out for a walk and noticed the dodge was gone, so i guess my friend picked it up and got it home. i said i noticed this, in a text message i sent. shortly after the walk was done i went to a meetup event, it was at a micro-brewery, black stack in st. paul. i had done an event there before. saw the dude in a cowboy hat, who i still think of as 'austin', where he once lived. i joined a trivia game and it meant reading cards, often saying 'who am i?' when i got home i did the dishes. during my walks i found 50 cents. 

ride after car show

 i went to the classic car show at the state fairgrounds, arriving just before midday. i had been there before, but the last time was many years ago. i made it through the gate before the retired postal worker did, found this out after sending a text. i got food shortly after arrival, getting chicken strips and fries. found my meetup friend over by the hangar building, chatting with the owner of a Hudson car. actually, it was a couple, and the wife asked if we were related. i said it was 'the cool uncle i never had'. it was a warm day, and we got drinks after that, at a nearby stand. i got a can of Kona beer. before i made it over there i recall seeing a young lady walking around in a short skirt and tights, carrying her high heels. she must have been warm with that outfit on. no surprise how there was plenty of neat cars to see there. i saw a jeep made by ford, i had only heard of the ones made by Willys. and i saw another Edsel station wagon, a pink car called 'Pepto', and a handful of VW beetles. i got a ride in my friend's 1955 dodge after the show, and we chatted for a while when i was being dropped off. guess it had been idling for too long as it overheated. i felt obligated to stay there for a while, but he called his roommate and got picked up but had to leave behind the car. two people saw it and said 'nice car' upon seeing it. after this was done i went inside and went to the bathroom, then went to get a sandwich at Jersey Mike's. since it was a big basket of food that i had eaten at the fairgrounds, i ate just half of the sandwich there and took the other half home with me. before i made it to the car show i picked up two orders at the post office, then went to get groceries at Aldi. i took the bus to the fairgrounds. i didn't do much after getting back from the sandwich shop, tried to watch some baseball on fox but fell asleep. but it didn't bother me that much when it was Mets vs. Phillies, a matchup of minimal interest to me. during my walks i found 95 cents. 

karaoke cruise

 in the evening i went on a karaoke cruise, getting on at Harriet Island in St. Paul. it was sponsored by a radio station, owned by the same company that sponsored the one i went on nearly two years ago. i enjoyed this one more, as i liked singing karaoke on it. i did two songs, Eminem's 'without me' and then Kelly Clarkson's 'breakaway'. this was a big boat, i did the songs on opposite ends. i had a burger, it was buffet style and part of the ticket package. there was plenty of water available and i had some, but i also got a can of Modelo beer. at the end of the night i had the second of two paper Pepsi cups with me along with the empty beer can as the bartender said there was no recycle bin on the boat. i got the 'how right i was' feeling while waiting to sing song number two. i am always out doing something when this happens. i saw a few people i knew, one of them was newsboy hat. i called out to her when i was waiting in line to sign a waiver and get on the boat but she didn't hear me. another was the friend of a fellow comic, the Little Canada native. a deejay recognized me and was a friend of this comic, this helped with her spotting me. after singing two songs i had the urge to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. when we were nearly back at the dock i loved seeing the skyline lit up and this was one of my pictures from the night. i also sent four text messages, heard from three of them. my niece said she hasn't done karaoke. cul-de-sac spoke of watching a baseball game on TV and a perfect game was being thrown apparently. when we passed a boat that was up from St. Louis, it prompted me to send a text to my friends who live there. i was asked if anyone got me singing on video, i said probably not. when i got back to my car at the end of the night, i just kept driving until i found something i recognized. this happened when i got to Lilydale, where i got on to 35E and then got home. when i got off work i wasn't there for long as i wanted to be on time for the cruise. i snacked a little and watched parts of two reruns. 'Young Sheldon' was about Sheldon and his mom getting back from Germany. 'Big Bang Theory' was about Sheldon being with Amy on her birthday and Wil Wheaton got his ticket to 'Star Wars'. then it was a quick stop at the speedway gas station where i got some banana strawberry milk, cheese, and the paper. at work i got caught up on sending checks through the machine, sending out three regular mail tubs at the end of the day. there is still a backlog on payroll statements, as i had started off with over six hundred pages. i found out most of them are two or three pages though, and i think i sent out close to half of them. there were thirty-five overnight envelopes put in the box. during my walks i found 1 dollar 14 cents. 

running on empty movie

 there were plenty of things planned for the day off due to the bank holiday. one of these was to watch a DVD movie, a recent purchase from amazon. it was 'running on empty'. a writer friend in Houston posted about it on Facebook and it sounded good enough to me. i liked it but the ending left me stunned and a little sad. i liked some of the songs in it, including James Taylor's 'fire and rain'. also liked how the main character, played by River Phoenix, stood up to his dad when confronted with hypocrisy. Judd Hirsch played the dad. when reading about the storyline, i liked knowing it was about a talented musician, in this case a piano player, and this was enough for me to order the movie. i watched it in the morning, and it was just after midday when it was done. it was time to get on the road to Lakeville as i wanted to have lunch at the cracker barrel. i was told they had just passed the peak lunch crowd, and i liked how there was no wait for a table. i got blackened chicken and hash browns, and for dessert i asked for the peach cobbler in a to-go cup. i got a box of snoopy bandages in the retail store section. on the drive back home i stopped in Eagan and dropped off a donation bag at goodwill, mostly small towels. then i went inside and bought four DVD movies. one of them i watched in the evening, it was about the civil war battle at Shiloh, the story was told by reenactors. i found out Lew Wallace, who later wrote 'Ben-Hur', commanded soldiers in this battle for the union. then i got groceries at the Hy-Vee, moved it up one day as i was already booked at an event on my typical grocery night. in the morning i took recycle to the capitol and got a look at the memorial to the slain lawmaker on the steps. there was a man with a 'portable cross' there as well. then it was on to the copy store, printed four pages, including game ticket receipts. i made a brief stop at a furniture store, went in as the door was open. the employee said they weren't open yet, i picked up a business card and left. after i got back i got some ice cream at the McDonald's, then watched 'jeopardy'. final jeopardy clue was about national parks; answer was Carlsbad caverns. during my walks i found 62 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon and Amy got back together, after Sheldon figured out the song stuck in his head was a Beach Boys song. it was followed by the one where penny kicked a bully in the groin and said, 'give Sheldon his stuff back'. 

luncheon replacement, jimmy john's

i was expecting to be attending a luncheon honoring a colleague that is retiring, but found out it was postponed, moved back a week. this was likely due to finding out that the boss was ill. i didn't bring a can of soup in my lunch bag for that reason. i decided that a sandwich at Jimmy John's would be the replacement. i read plenty of the signs on the wall while inside that establishment. the backlog went down on the Fargo checks; it is now under a thousand. vacation replacement brought me some returned checks, and some were returned to the business line in an inter-office envelope. i got busy and the others will have to wait, i was trying to confirm where to send them. i liked how the overnight volume stayed low, it was just twenty envelopes that went to the box at the end of the day. two checks were picked up just before the end of the day, guess that department wanted them picked up right away when the next day is a bank holiday. i have been trading emails with a ticket sales rep this week from the local baseball team. i was asked when i would be attending again and i said it would be next week. it seems odd that i am being approached by a ticket sales rep when my order history says i do attend games, but it is already mid-season so even partial season ticket packages would be a hard sell right now. guess i have dealt with this before with other teams, and when those others are out of state i had to say i only make an annual visit. during my walks i found 47 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Elon Musk was a guest star in a thanksgiving episode. it was followed by the one where penny crashes Leonard and Priya's date in a restaurant. 

wild mind ales

 in the evening i went to a meetup event, at wild mind ales in south Minneapolis. i still like doing these micro-brewery events a lot. there weren't a lot of options on getting beer in a 16-ounce glass, this is why i chose the bock beer. i liked chatting with a couple that is originally from Nashville, the man had the name of a university president, and the woman had a name like a tree. some of the subjects covered included Sergeant York, and a New York town with literary fame changing its name. after the event i went to a speedway gas station near me and got some popcorn, Perrier, and a pb and j sandwich. i ate the popcorn right away and will have the other two items at a later date. at work there was a development one on one with the boss in the morning. i was advised to add to my profile as hiring managers look at it when i apply for a role. i said i had applied for a role months ago but wasn't interviewed. much like other days when the boss was in the shop, it was just for part of the day, leaving early due to a package slated to be delivered at his home. it was a high-volume day on check printing and i kept getting the 'hot product' error from the inserter machine so there were plenty of checks left over, more than two thousand. i will run them through the next morning. during my walks i found 52 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Amy went on a date and her friends spied on it. Sheldon turned away a lady because she was late. it was followed by the one where Sheldon went to raj and Priya's party because his new friends 'were having fun wrong'. 

blank pages deleted

 in the system i use to print checks, sometimes there is an 'extra blank page' sent along with the file. i had let them pile up for a little while, as i could still print things, but it meant 'print selected' instead of 'print all'. late last week there was a duplicated file and i imported it but said i didn't want to print it and let I.T. know it was there. thankful that those are now deleted. it is just two files that seem to generate the 'extra blank pages', we see them usually just once a week, so it hasn't been a big deal to me. in the PDF files there was a dozen checks to be overnighted in the i-pay file at midday, but none in the second file near the end of the day. i liked how i had most of the overnight labels created before having to run the inserter machine again, as it meant i could leave a little earlier. it meant going straight through on creating them after getting back from lunch. vacation replacement was not in the shop, email in the morning said working from home due to translating for his mom. in the evening i went to perform, there was a thin lineup of performers. the lady with the Muppet closed out the show. i did two bank stories, one of them was about attending the lynx game. others were about Facebook singles sites, a busy weeknight, and calling my dad. during my walks i found 51 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Leonard was interviewed for a documentary by the son of Leonard Nimoy. it was followed by the one where Amy met Priya. at first, she wanted to be catty about her but found her to be delightful, but Amy still decided to comfort penny about it.

washing pillows, blankets

 when i went to do laundry i decided to do more than just the typical clothes washing. i had found a Charlie Brown blanket and said if i was going to do a separate wash for it, then make it count. i got out other blankets that hadn't been washed in a while, and pillows, and this became the third wash i did. actually, the first, i loaded that washer before the other two. i had seven items in there, three of which were pillows, but the machine wouldn't start, figured it was 'too full'. i moved two of the blankets to the other loads, and then it started just fine. as usual, after laundry was done i found an item to be thrown out, seeing holes in a pair of socks. there wasn't too much else to do for the rest of the day, i had the laundry done around midday. i called my dad in the evening as it was dad's day, and his upcoming birthday. i still might send a card as well. i liked more sharing about the times spent in Minnesota with the national guard unit, at first it was asking about the 'skeeters' which is done fairly often. in this case it was saying that three of the five summer camps were at Camp Ripley, but the other two weren't there because it was full. and those other two bases weren't near as full, in Wisconsin and Michigan. i said it is still a very active base as it has been on the news about exchange programs with military outfits from Europe. during my walks i found 85 cents. 

lynx game, in skybox

 just before midday i made it to downtown Minneapolis to see the Minnesota Lynx basketball game at the target center. i was offered a ticket to see it in my employer's skybox. there still were problems with being kicked off of the app but i was advised to go to a line where a man with a computer found my listing and issued me a ticket. as expected, there was plenty of free food and drink when i made it to the skybox. i had two cans of beer, a Coors light and a blue moon. i had plenty of popcorn and some peanuts, along with a cold cut sandwich, as well as hot food- chicken strips, and a hot dog. can't forget the goodies, i had a brownie and a big cookie. this was never much of a contest. i knew the lynx were good, playing the team from los angeles, but it was a lopsided score fairly early. the lynx were doubling the score at halftime and went on to win, 101-78. i recognized a few people from work there, and spoke with the lady that places the supply orders for me. there was a moment of silence before the game began, in memory of a politician who had been shot. i rode the light rail home after the game and the news was on when i got home, more about the manhunt for the assassin. in the evening i watched part of the baseball game on fox, after getting groceries at aldi. it was red sox-yankees again, this time from boston, red sox won a close one. i placed an order for a twins game outing through my alumni chapter, event will be in august. during my walks i found 75 cents. 

charlie brown sheets

 i saw a rip in a bedsheet and decided to go online and see options on where to get a replacement. it led to me searching for Charlie Brown sheets, found out these are available at kohl's. in the evening on the way to get groceries at the Hy-Vee in Eagan, i stopped at kohl's first and got a set. the cashier laughed a little about it but i said i am a big fan and these are for me. odd how not all characters are on the pattern but i see Schroeder shown twice, once playing the piano and the other time standing up just like the other characters are doing. instructions say to wash before use so i will be doing so this weekend. at Hy-Vee i bought not only just food but also toilet bowl cleaner. and i wrote it down about using some of the gift cards i have and this meant taking the envelope with me. there were three cards in it and i used one, there is just under two dollars left on the one i used. at work there was a spike in volume on the Fargo checks, wasn't expecting more than six thousand at the end of the week. two thousand were left over and will be run through on Monday. there was a spike in volume on the overnights as well, forty-four. i found it was not a moment too soon on the toner cartridge arriving this week as before midday i had to swap it out, just one day after it had arrived. and this was not even three weeks after vacation replacement did, on my day off for a dental appointment. i finally had half of the little godfather's pizza for the evening meal, after skipping a day when i had some pizza i found as leftovers in the breakroom. this meant a smaller grocery order tonight all around, just nine items bought. during my walks i found 24 cents. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when Mrs. Latham, a big contributor to the university, sleeps with Leonard and penny said 'good morning, slut' when Leonard gets home. 

resume in dog years

 there was a message in my Hotmail account about my resume with career builder, saying it was 'seven in dog years'. meaning it was a year old. surprised to hear this as i figured it would be older as i have been with the bank for five years. i saved it as a reminder to go to the site and see if i can make it 'inactive' like i did on other sites. despite this, sometimes i still get offers, especially from LinkedIn. although the offers aren't appealing at all, such as being a franchise owner, so i ignore them. at work the toner cartridge arrived. in other issues, there was a delay on getting overnight labels created and printed as there were problems with the UPS site. i sent an email to our internal team and got a quick response, saying they were working on it. i got back in before the end of the day and thankful the volume was low enough that it didn't take too long to get caught up. fox-plus didn't have the news on in the evening, as i recall it was soccer instead. i switched over to a rerun channel and watched 'rockford files', where rockford ends up in the hospital while investigating a lady who had faked her death. during my walks i found 75 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when howard and raj formed a band and played 'thor and dr. jones'. it was followed by the one where sheldon gets an acting lesson from penny to help with being an instructor. 

panic in needle park movie

 there were two events to attend after work, the second was a screening at the Trylon during 'bleak week'. the movie was called 'panic in needle park'. wanted to see that one as i knew Al Pacino was in it. there was an introduction to the organization 'sponsoring' the series, a lady from Los Angeles spoke for a few minutes before the movie began. she spoke of some notable attendees to this film festival in her city apparently, not just Pacino but also Gus Van Sant- the 'good will hunting' director. the movie was about heroin addicts in New York City. if anything was bleak or depressing about it, then this would be all of the fighting and arguing related to the drugs. along with what is done to get the drug money, such as stealing and prostitution. in one scene i said 'idiot' when a john had trouble lighting a match when trying to light a cigarette. the first event was a member or friend gathering at the loft, the writer organization i belong to. i liked the snack food they have before the event, this time it included popcorn. i was one of the readers at the open-mic, and much like before i did some poetry i had recently written. it was an ode to performing. after the event i ended up chatting with a lady that liked my performance, who had the same name as a famous musician that had performed with Miley Cyrus. it started inside and continued at her bus stop, as i was on the way to the nearby Bobby and Steve's as i wanted to get some more food. i bought a hot dog and a little Godfather's pizza. i ate the hot dog there and took the pizza with me on the light rail and will have it for the evening meal in the next few days. at work there was a team huddle that was scheduled at the last minute, held in the morning. it started off with talk about tokens, then i found out it didn't affect my work. the overnight volume went down a little, to twenty-six. when checking the tracking number on the toner cartridge i found out it is still on the way, so not arriving as early as the rep had told us. during my walks i found 36 cents. after the movie i checked email and looks like there is an alumni outing at a Twins baseball game this summer, in august. 

kicked off the app

the ticket arrived for an upcoming sporting event but after doing the app installation on my phone i was getting kicked off the app for a while. i had to keep trying and i got in, doing the further setup. then i gave the email address it was under, so the ticket can be sent to me by the admin assistant at work. the boss was in the shop for part of the day, then i was found in the breakroom at lunchtime and was told of his leaving to work from home and an appointment. i got the boss involved on a ticket i had opened for a toner cartridge for the check printer, but it was still a struggle when calling the help desk. near the end of the day i got an instant message saying the toner had been shipped and the fed-ex tracking number. it was a high-volume day on check printing, a little over a thousand were left over and can be run through the next day. and a high-volume day for overnights as well, as the mortgage file arrived, i did forty labels. more than half of them went out same day. during my walks i found 50 cents. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when the friends were working on an app, Sheldon tried to sabotage their work and helped penny with an app about finding shoes. 

apathy and ignorance

 i went to perform in the evening and there is often a 'stupid joke' read between acts. this time the poet took a turn on reading those during the second half of the show, and i liked the one about ignorance and apathy. matter of fact, it was read shortly after i had finished my set. i did stories about the bank, seeing a movie, and 'the haves and have-nots' at lunchtime. early in the show there was a performer that i wasn't too familiar with, telling a story about his father who had committed suicide. i saw plenty of familiar faces performing, including the poet, university accountant, the wild guitar player, and the fancy comic. at work the overnight volume was low, just fifteen. this was aided by there being just one from an account closure file where i overnight anything over ten thousand. two checks were carried over to the next day, one was in the second i-pay and the send-to address section was cut off. team lead in customer service had asked about that one but had just left for the day, and i will wait for a response. another was to be overnighted, but we are unable to overnight to a P.O. box. i ask customer service for a physical address when this happens, although usually i am told to send it regular mail. other notables about the day included seeing the movie 'my cousin Vinny' in the bar area at the performance venue, and selecting a book from a little free library, it was Shel Silverstein's 'falling up'. i had found another book while walking and this was essentially a swap. during my walks i found 1 cent. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Leonard returns from his Las Vegas wedding to penny and spends the evening with Sheldon, after Amy tells Sheldon 'We are broken up'. it was followed by the one where Howard and raj try to decide who is the sidekick with a wrestling match. 

moose lodge memories

 i looked at the class page on Facebook for the first time in a while. there is plenty of news about my hometown there. one of those postings was about the fire that destroyed the moose lodge in April. now i am surprised that no one spoke of it when i was back for a family gathering that month in Iowa. i think both of my parents were members of that lodge and my stepdad's friend was a bartender there. for this reason, i did spend some time there. one time it was for a family picture when i was in junior high, as i recall the photographer spoke of what my braces would look like in the picture. first time i did a New Year's Eve party after reaching legal age was there. according to the postings found on the lodge's page there are plans to rebuild. the lodge is at the edge of town. i didn't mind having very little to do for the day, it meant giving my car the day off as i had nowhere i needed to be. i decided to get caught up on a few things such as greeting cards bought in recent months were put into photo albums. and i ran the paper shredder as there was enough junk mail to shred to fill a plastic grocery bag. i watched some TV as well as two football games were on, the united football league. it is playoff time. Michigan beat Birmingham and D.C. beat St. Louis, the road teams won both games. decent crowd in St. Louis, but it appeared to be sparse in Birmingham. the future of this league still looks cloudy when the game attendance and TV ratings are low. there are even rumors of moving two teams with low attendance. during my walks i found 7 cents. 

jane austen movie

 in the early afternoon i went to see a movie, 'Jane Austen wrecked my life', at St. Anthony main in Minneapolis. it was a French movie, but plenty of it was still in English. this one i liked a lot, based on how often i was laughing. this included a gesture to the main character's friend, being mocked by her sister, and a man from the writer retreat saying, 'i speak French'. there was also when he acknowledged what i was thinking, that she was whistling the French national anthem, 'Marseillaise'. i also liked what was said about writing, about 'finding your ruins' as i know this about writing as well. a scene from the bookstore she works at also reminds me of the times i have been to poetry readings. i got some popcorn at the movie. before that i had some ice cream at a dairy queen, the blizzard of the month, strawberry cheesecake. there is a summer flavor that is promoting the 'superman' movie that is starting next month, but i figure i still have some time to try that one if the movie hasn't premiered yet. wondering if the 'big bang theory' reruns i watch will be promoting it as well, with a 'word of the day', as they have promoted comic book movies before. then i had lunch at a nearby burger king. i saw a man sleeping near the entrance, and when i was eating at a booth a woman arrived and asked for food. i pointed out where it can be ordered, she said she had no money. a reminder of 'the haves and have-nots', something i notice more often in big cities. in the morning i went to the post office, one order was picked up. after the movie i noticed a walkway that is normally closed had a gate open, so i took a walk on it. i guess that it is open only during the warmer months. this was next to an Xcel Energy facility and gave a great view of the falls. at first it felt like the falls was spitting out water, but i think it was light rain. then i made tracks back to my car. when i got home i laid down for a little while, then went to get groceries at Aldi. then i went to have a sandwich at Jersey Mike's. when i got home a baseball game was on fox, but not the one i was expecting, padres-brewers. Red Sox-Yankees was on, and i barely watched it but the red sox won. during my walks i found 2 dollars 38 cents. 

sweet hereafter movie

 tonight, i went to the Trylon cinema and saw the movie 'sweet hereafter'. it is part of 'bleak week' that this cinema is presenting. i chose this one as i had seen some other movies directed by Atom Egoyan, after hearing about him at an Armenian festival i have attended. it is about a school bus crash that kills most of the kids on board, and the story includes a girl reading 'pied piper' to some kids she babysits. the lawyer trying to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the families is dealing with a drug-addicted daughter that is often calling him collect. i read further about it on Wikipedia only after seeing it, waiting as i know there are spoilers everywhere. it is based on a book where the story takes place in upstate New York, but the movie takes place in Canada. and the book was inspired by an actual event, a bus crash in Texas. while there i picked up a pamphlet that tells us what is scheduled for this venue during the months of July, August, and September. i read it and two more movies of interest were found, but i don't buy tickets too far in advance. i have an advance ticket for another one in this 'bleak series' in a few days. at work this was a really nice catch-up day, after starting off with a donut as the building management company had them near the elevators in honor of 'national donut day'. four more tubs of checks were sent to the mailroom at the end of the day, and the backlog is down to just over one thousand checks to run through. i got one more online class completed as well, so all are done and over with. a ticket was opened to get a toner cartridge for the check printer sent, as all too often those aren't getting auto-shipped. when i went to get groceries at hy-vee in eagan in the evening, i stopped at their liquor store first and got a can of paulaner. i liked the one i had drank for the evening meal the previous day, a munich lager, so i got another one. there still are four beers waiting. during my walks i found 53 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when we see a season finale, 'we have to talk' was what many of the characters said. this included amy, to sheldon, essentially a break-up. it was followed by the one where sheldon fakes getting back together for penny's dad. 

caught up on printing

 at work, sometimes one must celebrate the small victories. in this case, it was getting caught up on check printing on the Fargo files. still a backlog, but it went down a little, to under five thousand. very little of nothing should be left over by the end of the next day. all about time management i guess, and it meant some things can wait. there is still one online class left to do, but of course i have until the end of the month for that one. there was the popcorn social just before midday, i like going there as usual. when i showed my badge to the security guard i said i liked seeing the larger-than-life popcorn box near the door, where the popcorn is white and yellow balloons. thankful i went back to eating the lunch i bring after a day of going to the convenience store on the main floor. i know i save money by bringing my lunch nearly every day. a colleague brought a refund check to overnight to St. Louis, when she arrived the team lead was there as well. like many other overnights, i sent the tracking number when it is available. there were forty overnights for the day, just over half of those went out early enough to be picked up same day. during my walks i found 37 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the moms of Sheldon, and Leonard, meet. and penny said 'oh my god' when Leonard hugs his mom. it was followed by when Amy goes to a slumber party and starts a pillow fight, while the dudes go to a screening of 'raiders of the lost ark'. 

box or cup of fries?

 tonight, i went to the St. Paul Saints baseball game, my fourth attended this season. saints beat Scranton, 7-5. normally i avoid weeknight games, but this one was a celebration of ten years at this venue, CHS field. it was a long day at work, and i was tired, but i said i am still going to the game. and i am thankful that i did, as it is hard to beat a night at the ballyard. i really didn't feel all that tired until late in the game, which had two delays related to injuries. one was a Scranton player fielding an infield hit and the ball hit him in the eye, Saints scored on this play to tie it 1-1. then it was the home plate umpire around the midway point of the game, and once it resumed there was just two umpires. i ate before i arrived at the stadium, stopping at a speedway gas station and getting a Slurpee drink and a slice of pizza. but when i was walking around the concourse at the game, i got a look at food offerings and got some fries. was it a box, or a cup? hard to say. but i liked having the fries and got some bottled water as well. i recall a video board from Twins games at the dome saying, 'walks will haunt' and this proved to be true in this game. as i recall, three of the runs scored by the saints were on a bases-loaded walk, including the two that put them ahead for good. i liked hearing the music there, even if it was just snippets. there was Weezer's 'island in the sun', as well as 'no sleep til Brooklyn' by the beastie boys. the latter was played multiple times; it was the walk-up song for a Saints player. i bought a Softee ball that i had seen at previous games this season, i knew i didn't have that kind yet. it does remind me of some i acquired from the seasoning-opening celebrations when i was working downtown, known as the 'world's largest game of catch'. oh, guess i should talk about work some more. there was a backlog of checks at the end of the day, more than five thousand. i sent out four tubs full of checks to the mailroom, normally the most i send is three per day. but i got two more Fargo files imported by the end of the day, and as expected the volume is lower so hopefully i will be caught up by the end of the week. all of the Jacksonville checks are printed, and a thousand went out. i saw that the ones printed first had the highest amounts. when i have to draw the line, much like before, it seems to be the easiest way to decide what goes out the door first. during my walks i found 76 cents. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when Howard took apart raj's helicopter and then it went berserk after it was put back together. 

manual entry

 there was a meeting to help bring the Fargo check files current. the I.T. people said it meant doing a manual entry on their end to force the file out a little earlier. i still did what was there, printing just under a thousand checks dated the previous day. i saw to it that the file created from the manual entry still was imported by the end of the day, total was seven thousand checks across those two files. this is a trick that i was taught before in order to avoid the problem we had been having. except the day there was no file, i couldn't even do that much as i had left for the day by the time it was ready. another card file, the one from jacksonville, had a spike in volume. the normal daily volume is about a dozen, this time it was three thousand. i printed half of them by the end of the day. both of the big supply orders arrived, envelopes and then check stock. one envelope box was missing, but the courier said the box was found and was dumped in the mailroom. this was at the end of the day, and i went to pick it up right away although the lady wasn't thrilled with me. thankful i didn't have to sign for it though. during my walks i found 1 dollar 37 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj and leonard tried to do an alien message on their own but relented and called in sheldon and howard. it was followed by the one where priya visits and gets involved with leonard. 

dashboard unavailable

 at work the dashboard i use to know what checks are ready to print was unavailable for much of the day. i found out this meant many of the business lines were unable to send checks to print for a while. but i was anything but idle during this time, as i had some big files to keep me busy. there was over a thousand pages from the ach-pdf file as it had rent payments for the first of the month. and i had the two Fargo files, nearly three thousand checks to print and send through the machine. the dashboard was back in the afternoon, and most of the business lines had checks to print by then and i had enough time to print and send out same day, but just barely. i think just two files did not send checks, both are known for having some overnights to pull out. the fraud file wanted me to pull out and overnight five checks, usually it is just one. this led to the overnight volume still being over twenty for the day. there was also an email thread about the Fargo files arriving a day behind, it has been this way for three weeks now. it was odd that the business line claims to be unaware of this. wondering if involving I.T. will lead to that file being caught up again. i had to keep saying that we print them when we get them. in spite of it all, i found the time to complete one of the online classes due at the end of the month. there are three to do, and i like how they often don't take long to do. when printing a page about an event to attend in July, i found out there are two churches with the same name- albeit in different towns- having festivals on consecutive weekends. once i discovered this i added one of them to the list of activities for the summer. i had been to the other one before. we all know how i like festivals- plenty of food, drink, and music. during my walks i found 53 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon and Amy built a fort out of blankets, while Leonard and penny were on a Wil Wheaton podcast. it was followed by the one where Sheldon and Amy talk to her mom on skype after a physics version of 'screwed' is used. 

mae west play

 in the afternoon i went to see a play about actress Mae West in northeast Minneapolis. it was in a former Westinghouse building where i had seen some shows before. the play was kind of long, more than two hours, but had an intermission as well. i had read a little about the trial that this play depicts, about obscenity in her play called 'sex' in the 1920s from Garrison Keillor's 'writers almanac'. i liked learning something from the play, how this standard for plays stayed on the books for nearly forty years. also liked how some of the famous people of the time- newspaperman Bill Hearst and New York's governor Al Smith- were part of the story. an announcement was made after the play had ended, saying there was an opening weekend reception and there was cheese and crackers so i had some of those. i went home, but only briefly, after that. i had a snack and then it was on to perform at an open mic. the show runner spoke of having just driven back from Chicago so he did a set in the early in the show and then left shortly after that due to being tired. i had seen the fill-in emcee before. i did some bank stories as well as riding the light rail stories. i didn't do much after getting home from performing. around midday i watched part of a united football league game, Arlington at San Antonio, this is the closing weekend of the regular season. i left for the play at the end of the third quarter. during my walks i found 1 dollar 11 cents. 

cars movie

there were some errands to run as usual, and the first stop of the day was the post office. three orders were picked up, and one of them was a DVD, the first 'cars' movie. have to give credit to a meetup friend, the retired postal worker, for me ordering that one. it was due to talk of classic cars during our in-person visit a week ago. pretty good movie all around, not just the voice cast but also the story. Paul Newman as the Hudson Hornet giving sage advice was what made it for me. good soundtrack for the movie as well, it answered one question for me. i have heard a cover of Tom Cochrane's 'life is a highway' and i think what i had been hearing every so often on my car radio was from this movie. but i am aware of how movie songs can sell well due to the exposure that not all songs get. also, some songs by brad paisley. not the first time where the first movie i see in a franchise wasn't the original, as we all know i had bought a DVD copy of 'cars 2' months ago. i think i had done that with 'terminator' as well. i put in the movie after the baseball game on Fox was done, mariners beat the twins in extra innings. after the post office, i went to drop off recycle near the capitol. then it was to the copy store, where i printed five event tickets. my next stop was going to be a movie theater, but i told myself i should watch this disc first. the movie i wanted to see at theaters had just been released, so my plans to see it can be moved back a week as i didn't have much booked just yet for next weekend. it will probably still be there. then i went to Eagan and had lunch at the popeye's chicken. when i got home i laid down for a little while, then went to get groceries at Aldi just before the baseball game began. during my walks i found 4 cents. 

before and after groceries

 in the evening i stopped at the same speedway gas station before and after getting groceries at the Hy-Vee in Eagan. first it was for gas, then it was going inside for the paper. i got some strawberry milk, string cheese, and peanut butter crackers as well. i still want the paper once a week even if i can't find it at the grocery store. the cashier asked what my weekend plans were, not the first time i had been asked. i said i would be attending a play, as that was the only thing i had booked at the time. i watched some of the united football league game on Fox after i got home, St. Louis at Washington. i laid down early in the fourth quarter, found out St. Louis went on to win. next weekend the playoffs begin, but it looks like the attendance for this league still isn't good for most teams. at work the backlog went down quite a bit, but it meant sending out four mail tubs at the end of the day instead of just three. now the backlog is down to just under a thousand, so it was more than cut in half. i submitted the supply order for the month, but late in the day instead of my customary early in the day. in the morning i got a 'recognized' email from one of the attendees of the speed networking event from the previous day, sure did surprise me. i tried to get the overnight envelopes into the box but i couldn't get the door open. when i was leaving for the day i saw the courier and said what the problem was, as expected it was a box rammed in there. i gave him all of the envelopes as there was a clear plastic mail tub available. total for the day was just over thirty envelopes. during my walks i found 1 dollar 53 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon and Leonard went to Skywalker ranch, while the friends back home played ping-pong. it was followed by the one where Sheldon and raj tried to share an office and it ended with an explosion, while Howard and Bernadette resume their relationship. 

speed networking

 in the afternoon at work i went to a speed networking event on the main floor. as i recall, 'picture day' was also there. i knew i had to leave at the end of the time allotment, which was one hour. but it llooked like it continued even after that. i was not alone on leaving at that time, though. it did feel a little like the speed dating i had done before. i found out there is someone who prints checks like i do, at an office in another town. surprised that anyone from out of town was at this networking event. i said i wanted to meet more people as i am still kind of isolated in this office even after the move less than a year ago. it left me a little behind on my work but i had signed up for this event weeks ago and figured i could stay a little later to get caught up on the overnight labels. at the end of the day there was still a backlog on the Fargo checks. more than two thousand were left over as it was a high-volume day. the inserter machine kept throwing an error as well, and close to lunchtime i said i needed to switch over to over duties. still hard to follow when this error doesn't happen in the afternoon. all that a tech said is that it is 'hot product', even though it still had been sitting for a little while after printing. vacation replacement arrived late in the day, and i handed off a returned check from months ago that had arrived in a 'blue company envelope'. i drank the can of bell two-heart with the evening meal and got a bottle of heineken from the nearby liquor store so there still are four beers waiting. during my walks i found 76 cents. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when sheldon and amy ended the relationship and then sheldon got cats. his mom was called in and he resumes dating amy. 

related or not?

 after worked i checked my Hotmail account as usual and there was a message from the ancestry site. it said we are related through her mother, then said not sure how we are related. an email and a phone number were given so we can exchange information. i responded to the message saying i recognized the phone number as an Iowa area code, but i had never heard of her mother's name. i looked through her pictures, and there were many of them. one of them said Winterset, except i have never lived in Winterset and know of no relatives who have either. while on the site i got a look at all of the clues that had piled up after creating a family tree. i wrote down some of them, i think they were from a cousin's tree. i still would like to find more about relatives who were immigrants. it was the first day back at work after four days off. i noticed a few things on arrival, such as the trash and recycle bins were in the hall and now have liners in them. and as expected, already had to say 'it was a day off for me' to someone. it was about a check that had been overnighted but should have been sent regular mail to the payee, it was from the bank's foundation. also had to let an internal customer know about an overnight request, how the fargo checks are being sent to me on a one-day delay. during my walks i found 25 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon and amy get a turtle, and we see sheldon's video about living on mars. it was followed by the one where penny calls sheldon, 'shel-bot' due to the virtual presence device. 

building condemned

 i had a day off for a dental appointment, and it was in the morning. after it i walked around in the skyway system much like when i worked in that area and saw a building had been condemned back in April. i had eaten at in their food court when working in downtown St. Paul, it is called the alliance bank building. i knew full well that more than half of the storefronts in the food court were vacant/empty as of my most recent appointment in November. now it is a question of what is next for the site, does it mean demolition? don't know. i got plenty of things done after the appointment. there was going to Eagan, first thing was ordering a ticket for the car show at the state fairgrounds next month. i like getting advance tickets and it meant going to the Napa auto parts store. then it was on to the credit union where i picked up the gift card i had won in a drawing. it was midday by then so the next stop was Mall of America as i wanted to have lunch at the A and W. actually there are two of those at the mall, but as usual i go to the one in the food court on the north end. i also found a store with some Charlie Brown items and bought two items, bamboo chopsticks and a magnet. and i got a scoop of ice cream at a place where i can get airline miles. then i went home and rested a little. next stop was the dealer to do an oil change on my car. i was home again in time to watch 'jeopardy'. i knew the final jeopardy answer, it was Dred Scott. during my walks i found 25 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when some of the friends did an escape room, while Penny and Sheldon did the 'fall in love' experiment. it was followed by the one where Sheldon and Amy went on a date and Penny was the chaperone.  

good, bad, brainy

 in the afternoon i went on a long walk around the neighborhood, first time in a while. i saw a little free library along the way and claimed a book from it. this was a scholastic book, likely meant for kids, but when i saw it as a history book i knew it was worth having. the main title was 'superstars of history' and after this it said, 'the good, the bad, and the brainy'. i had heard of many of these historical figures that are profiled in the book, but not all. when Franklin Roosevelt was profiled, i had to look up the mention of an assassination attempt, where it said the mayor of Chicago was killed. not mentioned by name in the book, but my online search yielded that this was Cermak. i knew that Cermak is the name of a road in the suburbs of Chicago, and in the city as well, during my time living there. i made it back from the walk in time to watch 'jeopardy', and i knew the final jeopardy answer, it was Yellowstone park, about UNESCO sites. in the morning i got some event tickets ordered. this included two St. Paul Saints baseball games in June, as well as a riverboat cruise in that same month. after the tickets were ordered, i saw a survey in my email from the team about the game i had just attended the day before. when i completed it there was another email, an offer on discounted tickets for select games for the rest of the season. except it was just for Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday, and i don't go on weeknights that much. there was another meetup event to attend, at a micro-brewery in the evening, wandering leaf. i chatted with a couple from Sweden, after seeing the 'cool dude' from another event last fall. i liked talking music with him, both then and at this event. i was a little late in getting to a mic to perform at due to this event as i was enjoying it enough. i did stories about my weekend activities, the bank, and an annoying facebook posting. during my walks i found 1 dollar 22 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when howard's mom died. it was followed by when we meet amy, as sheldon is blackmailed by a hidden dirty sock. 

fire and rain, james taylor

 this was a day of more than one activity, and music was a part of it. when i was leaving the St. Paul Saints baseball stadium after the fireworks show had ended, i heard the song 'fire and rain' by James Taylor. i said this was a good choice as a 'walking out song'. when i got home i looked it up, and found out one of the inspirations for the song was the suicide of the performer's friend. but i am aware of how performers and artists can create something beautiful when inspired by something awful. other inspirations mentioned were Taylor's drug addictions and dealing with fame. two other songs of note for the day were heard at the Saints stadium as well. there was 'titanium' by David Guetta and Sia, during the game. and there was 'rock in the USA' by John Mellencamp, during the fireworks. i am used to hearing a medley of songs that mention the USA or America during the fireworks shows for Memorial Day or the 4th of July. the game had just started when i arrived at the stadium, i walked around for much of it but before the 7th inning stretch i sat down in the general admission section. the Saints lost to Norfolk, 10-4, my third game attended this season. the Saints briefly took the lead, 4-1, on a grand slam. i am used to seeing the long ball fairly often in these Triple-A games as the players have to be good to make it this far. State Farm Insurance had a tent, much like last September, but i already had a bobblehead with my photo on it so i didn't need another one. i ate two hot dogs at the stadium, one was during the game. the other was from a food truck after the game had ended, waiting for the fireworks to begin. it was from 'dine-1-1', a converted ambulance, i had ordered food from them before. around midday i went to a meetup picnic in a park, the first of six for the summer season. i am probably not attending all six though, more likely just three. i had a hot dog there as well, so my total for the day was three. there were some that i enjoyed chatting with there, but some that i found to be annoying. memorable was a man who had the same name as a college in Iowa. i didn't stay long after i was done eating, played a little ladder golf and that was it. i wanted to rest a little before i went to the stadium. during my walks i found 60 cents. 

tronk, a journey home

 i went to a play in northeast Minneapolis in the afternoon, it was called 'Tronk, a journey home'. this was in the former grain belt complex, same building where i have the fringe festival training. the play was one floor above it. saw the invite on Facebook, sent by the meetup friend, the retired postal worker. this friend made it but arrived after the show began, but i figured he'd still be there when named before the show as a benefactor. the trunk, a big part of the story, was made possible by his donation. at first it was hard to understand the premise, but then i said it reminded me of the Marx brothers and the three stooges. most of the dialogue was gibberish, and before the show began i said i recognized one of the props as a clown horn. i printed a page in advance and wrote the driving directions on it. the show was described here as three bumbling adventurers are on a journey to find a new home, but the magical trunk they use to travel breaks down. after the show i got a look at my friend's car, it had a collector plate on it, a 1955 Dodge. also heard a story about buying another classic car, a Hudson. i spoke of two meetup events i am booked to attend this weekend, hopefully i will see him at one of them. i didn't go straight home after the show. i went to Roseville and had a dairy queen blizzard at the mall, then looked for a trench coat at some stores there and near it. nothing bought yet though. i didn't do much once i got home. i had the evening meal, some spaghetti, and went to get groceries at the Aldi. i watched the baseball game on fox, guardians beat the tigers. i got some things done in the morning as well. i went to the post office, two orders picked up. then i went to the French alliance and saw an art show in the gallery. no kidding on how it was called 'petits souvenirs', little memories in french. these artworks were small, thirty-two of them. i only got pictures of two of them, of the eiffel tower and arc de triomphe. then i went to have a sandwich at jersey mike's. durign my walks i found 1 dollar 28 cents. 

wolves in 5 shirt?

 i went to get groceries at the Hy-Vee in Eagan tonight and saw some t-wolves basketball shirts for sale near the front door. these said, 'wolves in five'. didn't buy one. also saw a sign next to it saying the supermarket chain is a sponsor of the team. no surprise how it is Memorial Day weekend that some patriotic balloons were on display. except one of them said '4th of July'. i got my typical needs there, including a box of twinkies for the meetup picnic i am doing this weekend. at work i stayed late as expected, wanting to see that things were caught up before my four days off, including one for an appointment. it meant some things were put in the shred bin and a list of recipients of tracking numbers for some overnighted checks was put on the wall. i was disgusted with the 'Eva app'. i spent an hour on it during my first attempt at getting a toner cartridge ordered for the small printer, to no avail. i was told to get the business line to order it, and they couldn't. i tried again and the ticket was opened right away and looks like the order has been placed. except the order still might be going to the former location. in spite of it all, i am thankful ti didn't leave me that far behind on doing the overnight labels as there was twenty of those for the day. during my walks i found 75 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when we hear embarrassing stories about all three ladies, including the story Amy wrote that was inspired by 'little house on the prairie'. it was followed by the one where we hear the story why the elevator is broken. 

chase the can

 no, not 'kick the can'. i ended up chasing a can across the street at the end of the workday as i went to wait for the light rail. guess it was being pushed along by the wind. i caught up with it after i had crossed and it went into the trash bin. notable about the day was doing the survey about my role. i wanted to stay caught up with my normal duties and i got around to it at the end of the day. there wasn't much time left to complete it, end of the week was the deadline. i had plenty of numbers at my disposal from spreadsheets and such so i wanted to have some of those numbers present. there weren't many things i could select when looking at the duties represented. i mostly print checks so that one was there, along with 'researching exceptions'- i consider that to be the 'pull and shred' as well as check copy requests. i wrote as much as i was allowed to in the space provided about what i do. i even said that i know i do a lot for the bank and take pride in what i do. there was a spike in the overnight volume, just over fifty. somehow i got them all in the box by the given pick-up time though. i drank the can of goose island with the evening meal so now four beers are waiting. during my walks i found 1 cent. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when Sheldon had a houseguest, 'dr. slut-bunny'. 

puppy day

 and there was another event of note at work. it was puppy day. i wanted to stay caught up on work but i got to the venue for 'puppy day' about midway through the time allotment of ninety minutes. when i got there i said 'what are you doing here?' to a dude i recognized from the comedy circuit. found out the dude worked for the animal rescue organization that brought in the puppies. i held one of them and a lady said it was cute so i got a picture sent via text message. i was told the puppy had fallen asleep in my arms. the tricky thing was finding the right set of elevators. i went to the main floor and the first one i tried wasn't it. looks like those just went to the basement. i went to the skyway level and tried another set, and that got me where i wanted to go. first time in the south tower for me. the dude was wearing a Mets baseball hat and i said i recall us doing a Timberwolves game as part of a job fair many years ago. i called that 'my time in the wilderness' as i like working at the bank. i was there for about twenty minutes and i figured that was long enough as i had more work to do. the dude did get a pic of us on his camera phone and i am wondering if that will be posted on 'the book'. i also heard about a show he's doing this summer at a micro-brewery. but as we all know, just being in the crowd isn't good enough for me. i would want stage time if i go there. vacation replacement was in the shop near the end of the day. i said i hadn't done the big survey yet about my role but i knew we have two days left to complete it. i was told it didn't take long, just under thirty minutes. it means trying to set up a block of time to get it done, probably in the morning, even if it means delaying the check printing a little. looks like i now have plenty of things lined up for next week on a day off for an appointment. there is also picking up the gift card from the credit union, an oil change for the car, and lunch at the mall. during my walks i found 25 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the ladies went shopping while the dudes waited for them and ended up crying. amy got to do basket weaving as well. it was followed by the one where sheldon has dinner with the dudes, but also with penny, after being chased by a dog. 

picture day

 at work there were plenty of postings around the building, including the elevators, about picture day. i got it done after a 'team huddle' as i figured it was the best time to do so before returning to the shop. it didn't take long, just had to go to the main floor and i go there to transfer elevators anyway. i am told i will be sent a link to add the photo to my profile in the employee directory, but not sure when. even though i have a photo on my ID badge there isn't one currently in the directory. the bank is paying for the pictures, which made it easier to do. i did another re-boot on the inserter machine as i was seeing issues about a blank screen. this time i looked at the cord and shoved it in a little farther, so hopefully that takes care of things for a while. wondering if vibrating of the machine was causing it. overnight volume was a little higher, over thirty, but i was able to get most of the labels created before the afternoon run of the inserter machine. it is nice to get out close to the normal leave time, although i knew i had to get to the gas station first so i knew my priorities. it meant not seeing a full 'young Sheldon' rerun. in the morning i saw how people prepare differently for the weather as it is still rainy. some had umbrellas and trench coats, but i also saw one dude with no coat on at all. my rain jacket with a hood, given by a former employer, works fine except it is kind of short, barely going below the waist. i did some searching online and it looks like there are some affordable trench coats at various stores, i would want one that at least goes to the knee. i have bought coats at resale shops, so it doesn't have to be bought new. during my walks i found 3 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon ended 'fun with flags', then brought it back, opening a champagne bottle. it was followed by the one where Wil Wheaton breaks up Leonard and penny to win a bowling match. 

gift card, phone tag

 i was checking my phone during lunch and found out i was a prize winner from the credit union event last week. it is a gift card. voicemail said it could be mailed to me or i can pick it up from a branch, i prefer the latter. i left a voicemail about an hour after hearing it, when i had a little downtime at work, so i guess we are playing phone tag about it. at work i liked how the overnight volume stayed fairly low, just under thirty. it was aided by having none in the second i-pay file. one odd thing was the screen on the inserter machine going dark in the morning, but it was still running so i left it alone until all of the checks were run through. then i switched off the power source in the back and turned it back on, hopefully the reboot works for a while. i didn't have another problem with it for the rest of the day. vacation replacement heard about it and wondered if it was caused by a loose cord somewhere. i continued the search for two checks that was a carryover from late Friday, neither one was found. based on the given check numbers, i didn't expect to find them either, even with payee names given. then my boss responded and said those weren't going to be there, so I'm not sure why i had been added to the thread. in the evening i went to perform. i spoke of going to doors open, winning a gift card, a bank story, and a show i attended. i even started off with a reference to a folk singer who went before me, saying it almost sounded like he'd be playing a song by america, 'lonely people'. it was a rainy night. during my walks i found 53 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when leonard got surgery to end his snoring, and sheldon said 'take me to leonard'. it was followed by the one where sheldon got an award and gave a speech while drunk. 

streetcar museum, lakewood cemetery

 i made it to two more venues on day two of the doors open event. in the morning it was the streetcar museum. riding the streetcar was just $3 and when i stepped off at the end of the ride i said 'worth it!' i bought two postcards as well, being careful on what to get as i knew i had already bought some on a visit to another railroad museum. i liked seeing the vintage ads inside the car, we were told those were actually replicas. there were ads for Hamm's beer as well as grain belt that i got pictures of. we also got a look at the machine shop, and the library. when this was done i went home to have lunch, a pot pie and some TGI Friday's potato skins. i rested a little as well, then ventured out again for the fourth and final venue on my list. this was the Lakewood cemetery. i went to the welcome center first and i liked having some cookies and water. i got a flyer at the front desk, later noticing it was from last year but not a big deal. then i took a walk and during it i first found where politician Hubert Humphrey is buried. then i walked some more and found the chapel, where the doors open volunteers- and the people counter-were. the chapel is on the national register of historic places. then i saw the ribbon tree near it, as well as two mausoleums. there were some stained-glass windows with bible verses on them in one of these. then i drove to uptown and got some ice cream at the McDonald's and walked past the lagoon movie theater. it was hard to find showtimes for this theater online, some mention of renovation, but when i walked past there were some people inside and movie posters up and times given. although there was nothing of interest to me showing at this time. then i went home and had the evening meal, a pizza. 'The Simpsons' was about Bart and Lisa watching the cartoon 'itchy and scratchy' as well as homer being rescued from Florida. during my walks i found 63 cents. 

house of balls, doors open

 this is 'doors open' weekend in Minneapolis. i had an ambitious plan of seeing four venues in two days. i started off with seeing the 'house of balls', next to a light rail stop, this morning. this is an art studio that specializes in turning junk into art. a standout was framed art saying, 'welcome to America' and it was red, white and blue, depicting a flag, made out of shell casings. i also recognized one artwork that was made out of a wringer washer, probably a Maytag. it was round instead of boxy though. once this was done it was midday, and i made my way to Eagan where i ate at Cane's chicken as it was lunchtime. then on to a Baskin Robbins, which shares the building with a Dunkin Donuts. i had some ice cream there, two scoops, first time at this place in a while. i saw it a lot when going to get groceries at the nearby Hy-Vee, first time inside this location. i spoke of going to one in my hometown when i was young. then i made my way back to do more touring. it was a maintenance facility for the public works bureau. it was cool to see all kinds of vehicles on display. one was for the swat team and another for the bomb squad, as well as a fire engine. when i got home i wasn't there for all that long. i had the evening meal, then i got groceries at the Aldi, and then off to see a play at the history theater in downtown St. Paul. it was called 'whoa nellie', it was supposed to be a biography of a lady con artist. it left a lot to be desired, for one thing only revealing she was a child actress at the end. there were microphone problems as well, and i didn't care for the 'presentism' analysis of life in the 19th century. people lived differently back then, we already knew that. show started more than ten minutes late, and there were announcements that included a plea to 'support the arts because it is under attack'. um, you're preaching to the choir. i did see the list of shows for next season and the one about the winter carnival interests me. during my walks i found 36 cents. 

so long, woody guthrie

 when i logged onto YouTube tonight, i saw a Woody Guthrie song, 'so long' (it's been good to know you). not sure why it was there, aside from choosing some Bob Dylan songs recently after seeing the Bob Dylan biopic. this did answer one long-dormant question though. i recall when a Des Moines newspaper published its final edition and this is what was on the headline. i guess we choose things all the time that have resonance, and a popular movie, tv show, or song title will fit this description. another title was 'dusty old dust', i know this was in reference to the 'dust bowl' during the great depression. there is also mention of the library of congress recordings. i know one of his songs, 'this land is your land', was on the soundtrack to a favorite movie of mine, 'up in the air', albeit performed by someone else. at work i did some exploring in the skyway at the end of my lunchtime. i walked down a part of the skyway i don't see much, saw a cookie place but there was no coffee, so i kept walking. i turned to a building i hadn't seen before and stopped at a convenience store. i found a bottle of Dunkin donuts coffee and one of those Smucker's un-crustable peanut butter sandwiches. in the morning there was an instant message sent before i had arrived for the day. it was about scanning and forwarding a reject fax from another floor. i said i like to get the PDF check files printed before i leave the shop. also, how i had been handling it on Fridays for a month now, and no one needs to tell me to send it unless it isn't in the shared box by 9am. i got it done before 9am. in the evening i went to do grocery shopping at the Hy-Vee in Eagan. i saw someone who looked a lot like an old friend from the comedy circuit, the big dog, but i knew it wasn't him. this dude had the 'woodman' (not tin man) look with facial hair and a winter hat. then i liked how i was recognized by the cashier, who had helped me before, and was asked what i was doing for the weekend. when i got home i watched some of the united football league game on fox, Memphis at San Antonio. it was tied at 20 at the end of regulation, i decided to watch the news on another channel, found out Memphis won. still not much of a crowd though. during my walks i found 60 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the friends had a prom, and it had the same amount of drama as a real prom. it was followed by the one where the friends act out their version of 'lord of the rings' by fighting over a ring. 

go to the stairwell

 there was a tornado warning in the afternoon, and my boss was in the shop doing some meetings when this happened. i said 'does this mean we need to move?' when i heard the siren. we took the elevator to another floor where the rest of my colleagues are and went to the stairwell as there are no windows in there. i said i was taking my phone with me, and the phone did say the tornado warning wouldn't last long, about twenty minutes. i was moved to this building just under five months ago and i think it was the first time i had been in any of the stairwells as i am usually taking the elevators when i need to get somewhere. i said it was a good thing that i had plenty of the overnight labels done by then as the emergency didn't put me all that far behind on my work. i still was back to work in time to get the afternoon checks run through the machine and make the delivery of two mail tubs at the end of the day. not all overnighted checks went out same day as there was just over fifty, but well over half of them were in the box by the pick-up time. in the morning i did my walk to Walgreen and there was more this time in the refrigerated aisle. i got a bottle of Starbucks coffee and some cookies. i am thankful i saw a different cashier this time on the upper level as i likely would have avoided that grouch if he was there this time. i drank the can of Sapporo with the evening meal and got two cans from the nearby liquor store so now five beers are waiting. i bought a surly, and a Michelob. i also saw invites for six picnics through meetup. i was wondering if there was going to be one for Memorial Day but it finally was scheduled. probably not going to all six though, as i like my proximity. right now, i am only signed up for the one on memorial day but will likely sign up for others closer to when they are happening. no need to sign up too early as the others are over a month away, and the final one in the series is labor say. during my walks i found 1 dollar 77 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when billy bob thornton was a guest star, followed by when stan lee was a guest star. 

tax survey

 i do online surveys for the airline miles. tonight, i did one that was largely about taxes. i answered 'don't know' to many of them as i don't know much about taxes. i pay whatever i am told to pay and it is hard to answer what the tax rates should be for small businesses when i don't own one. i completed the survey and got the full allotment of points, so i can't complain too much about it. on many surveys i do not qualify and get booted early, getting only the minimum allowed as a 'thank you for your time'. i fell asleep when watching the news and when i woke up, '48 hours' was on. i was in the other room so i could only hear it but i knew it was about a Georgia cop who got life in prison for the murder of his wife. i probably should have gotten up a lot earlier in the program to turn it off but i was too comfortable in the laying down position. i got up to shut it off at the end of the program though. at work i was asked to print test checks during the first hour of the day, and it led to a meeting about it to be canceled which didn't bother me any. the fewer meetings, the better. still a day behind on the Fargo checks being sent to us, so a backlog of just over a thousand will be run through the next morning as it was a high-volume day. i sent out three mail tubs so i sent out as much as i could while balancing things such as the time needed to do the overnight labels. it was nice to get all of the overnights in the box a little early, as it meant i could leave close to my scheduled leave time for the day. during my walks i found 83 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon and raj tried a mining simulation and it didn't last long. it was followed by the one where leonard goes to switzerland on valentines day but takes raj as penny is ill.  

urban growler brewery

after work i went to an event at urban growler brewery in St. Paul, first time there. not that easy to find as it was in the warehouse district and the MapQuest directions weren't good enough. when i arrived i cared a lot about getting food as there was some available. i liked the meatballs as well as the fries and tater tots. i had a small ham sandwich as well. i liked how the event's sponsor, the credit union that i am a member of, gave me a drink ticket. i had a passport to complete and it went into a box for drawings. one of the prizes is St. Paul Saints baseball tickets. i picked up a chip clip as well as a beer cozy. both of these items has the credit union's logo on it. i spoke of attending events at various micro breweries due to a meetup group i am in, not sure why i hadn't been there before. when i see the event coordinator again i will see if this one is on the radar. i know there may not be enough parking but the 'barrel room' we were in is likely big enough for our crowd. i didn't do much after the event. at work i was asked to log into the test check printing system by an I.T. rep to see if a password worked that i was given, and it did. guess i will be using it the next day during a meeting. most of the overnight envelopes were in the box before pick-up time, a few more were sent there when i left for the day. i got a bounce-back on a check copy request, was told it was an encoding error that led to a future date being on the check. i did a search by payee name and let the requestor know that no other checks had been issued, so far just the two that were requested earlier. during my walks i found 51 cents.

not my pepsi bottle

 when i went to perform in the evening, i saw a nearly full bottle of Pepsi on the bar and when i ordered my drink i said 'it wasn't my Pepsi'. as usual i got a beer. i did jokes about a posting on a Facebook singles site, my visit to a Walgreen, the bank's breakroom, a three-movie weekend, and a meetup event. i also gave my take on a line in a story from an earlier performer, reminding me of family. i was tired and left for home shortly before the show ended. at work i was surprised to see vacation replacement, as an email said my colleague would be working from home for the day. but then, upon arrival, i am told that his family is going to Wisconsin to see 'house on the rock' and working from home would be moved back a day. also, something about the family using his SUV, I've heard about that happening before. some Fargo check files arrived, but only one day's worth so still a day behind. i knew this because of the dates on the checks. in the afternoon i saw an email from the team lead in customer service about a check, and it was in the second i-pay file for the day. looked like this colleague was already out for the day by then so i said i would go to that floor to deliver it the next morning. during my walks i found 1 dollar, all in quarters. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the friends talked about investing in Stuart's comic bookstore, after visiting another store. it was followed by the one where we hear 'intruder alert' after an anti-burglar device is activated on Sheldon and Sheldon then tries to move to Montana. 

king of kings movie

 it was a two-movie day and i got started kind of early, went to see 'king of kings' in Lakeville. i am not that religious but i noticed who was in the voice cast and said it is worth seeing. this included Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, and Pierce Brosnan. it was more than just a story about Christ as it was also about the storyteller, author Charles Dickens. the author was telling the story to his young son. i wiped away a tear during the scene depicting 'let he who is without sin cast the first stone'. why, i don't know. i think this movie was produced or distributed by the same company as the one i saw on super bowl Sunday, about the teenager that was adopted by his teacher. i say this because both asked for donations in the closing credits 'in order to increase the reach of the movie'. after it was done i found a quick lunch at the speedway gas station nearby. then i drove to the cracker barrel store, four miles north on I-35. i bought a patriotic shirt to replace the one that I've had for over a decade. this one has one big flag on it instead of plenty of small ones and has text from the declaration of independence as well. then i drove the rest of the way home. in the evening i went to the Trylon and saw 'hardcore', starring George c. Scott. it was part of the Peter Boyle series. shortly after it had finished i said it was 'sobering, to say the least'. because it was about a private eye, played by Boyle, hired to find a missing girl, and she was discovered in a porn film. then her religious dad tries to find her, and it shows quite a bit of the sex industry along the way. there was a promo before the feature presentation about another series coming up, 'bleak week', in June. i will have to see if there are any in that series that interest me. during my walks i found 51 cents. 

a new leaf movie

 in the evening i went to the Trylon cinema and saw 'a new leaf'. no surprise how i liked the leading man, Walter Matthau, more than the leading lady, Elaine May. the lady was clumsy, and slapstick doesn't do anything for me. i did recognize Doris Roberts in it, as one of the lady's staff. i noticed Conrad Bain, Mr. Drummond from 'different strokes', in the wedding scene but that actor was un-credited as it was a non-speaking part. the premise wasn't the best one, but i still grew to like the story. a playboy who has no inheritance left and must marry to avoid selling all he owns to pay debts, at the outset doesn't sound appealing. but i had seen other movies starring Matthau and figured it was still worth seeing. and i get it where the title is derived from, as the leading man 'turned over a new leaf' by taking care of his wife. even though the plans at first were to kill her for her money. because he takes over her finances and fired her dishonest staff. along with her being a botanist and discovering a new fern. this was the proverbial 'double entendre'. i didn't do much after the movie, stopping at a Walgreen on the way home. i noticed a Sport clips i have had haircuts from has closed, parked near it. best indicator from a distance was seeing the letters gone from the outside. but i knew it was closed for a while after the pandemic began. i did plenty before the movie, though. in the morning i went to the post office and picked up two orders. one of them was a little golden book about basketball player Caitlin Clark. then it was on to downtown St. Paul and a meetup event at union depot, in a place that doubles as a coffee shop and a bike shop. i not only got coffee, but also a pastry and three postcards. first coffee event in this group mainly known for going to micro-breweries. after sitting down to eat the pastry, i liked chatting with an archaeologist, who i think had just moved here. i pointed out where the bathroom was near the end of the event. then i went down to track level and found the snoopy statue. i had only paid for parking for an hour and a half so i knew it was time to get back to my car and leave. it was past midday, so it was also time to get lunch, and i went to get a sandwich at Jersey Mike's. after it i watched some of a united football league game, Michigan stunned Arlington, scoring the tying touchdown after calling timeout with one second left, then a one-point conversion. then eventually i was off to Aldi for groceries. during my walks i found 4 dollars 77 cents, and three dollars worth of those quarters paid for the cup of popcorn i had at the movie in the evening. 

billboard greeting card

 in the morning i did a walk over to the Walgreen in the skyway and got a bottle of tea and some cookies. i liked seeing a greeting card as well and bought it, too. it depicts a billboard saying, 'you are human, loveable, strong, and enough'. it says the creator spreads a message of hope on billboards in Kansas City and beyond. makes sense when it is a hallmark card, which is based in Kansas City. i let the cashier know i would prefer getting bottles of coffee but didn't see any, don't know why the dude was acting disgusted with me. i moved up this walk as there was a dial-in meeting scheduled about test check printing, guess more will be happening next week. the Fargo check files did not arrive at all, and it didn't hear anything from the business line when asking about it. the PDF checks now have some email verbiage on them, as of the midday i-pay file. i guess it is a way of encouraging payees to switch to something besides checks. in the evening i went to get groceries at Hy-Vee in Eagan. first stop was the liquor store next to it, and i picked up a can of Paulaner so now there are four beers waiting. i listened to some of the Saints baseball game on the radio, but they were way behind, against buffalo. when i got home i watched some of the united football league game on fox, D.C. was playing at San Antonio. i fell asleep during the fourth quarter but later found out D.C. won. during my walks i found 52 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Howard tried to throw out a first pitch at an Angels baseball game. it was followed by the one where Sheldon gets incredible hulk hands when agreeing to go on a double date with raj. i also found out 'night court', a show i had been watching, has been canceled. guess the ratings just weren't there. i also looked at the venues for the upcoming 'doors open' event, just over a week away, and found four venues of interest to me. two others i can see outside of the event, and there were two that i had to eliminate as tickets were required for the tours and were already sold out. 

comp tickets, short notice

 this week i was sent comp tickets to an event at the u. of Minnesota, a piper performance. except it was on short notice, sent the morning of the event, so i didn't attend as i didn't see them in time. then a day later, i got a survey about the event i didn't attend. when i first saw the tickets, i tried replying saying i preferred hearing about it a week in advance as it would be easier to plan. there is a number to call on the survey's email, so i guess i have another option on seeing that my message gets through to the right people. what i had said was that it must have been when i won a drawing at the screening of a Buster Keaton movie in February. i was able to meet the organist and see the organ close-up and was happy with that. i didn't do all that much in the evening after getting home from work. i did the after-work routine, then much like the previous day i tried to listen to the St. Paul Saints baseball game on the radio, but this time i fell asleep. the opponent this week is Buffalo. i drank the can of two-hearted IPA with the evening meal so now three beers are waiting. there are two fish heads on the can. at work there was a high volume again with one of the Fargo files so a little over a thousand checks are left over and will be run through the next morning. there was a little over twenty overnights for the day, and i liked getting all of them in the box just before the pick-up time. there was no second i-pay, which aided in fewer overnight labels to create. i also got a look at the movies on fandango and i could make it a three-movie weekend, which is not typical for me. but i am also a big believer in 'get while the getting is good' and i don't know if one of them will be at a nearby theater if i wait another week to see it. during my walks i found 51 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon tried to teach a class and only Howard signed up. Amy liked being popular as there was a feud between Bernadette and Penny as one helped the other get a job in pharmaceutical sales. it was followed by the one where Sheldon teaches physics to Penny as she wants to understand the work that Leonard does.