mailroom deadline moved up

 when a mailroom employee brought the empty tubs to the shop, i was informed that the deadline to send the regular mail tubs at the end of the workday was moved up. not by much, under an hour. i copied my boss and a senior leader about it, and the mailroom boss did let them know it was due to expected protest activity in the area. in the end, not a big deal to me. the volume was low, as it typically is for a Friday. i got started on the overnight labels a little earlier, and the afternoon run of the inserter machine started earlier as well. and it helped that the second i-pay file of the day was on time, and low volume. it was seven checks, three were special handling. i didn't get home any earlier than typical, though. many of the protesters were using the light rail, and the first attempt to get home was a no-go because the train was already full. i got on the next train though. i waited inside and walked around a little. i did see two fellow comics as i was making the second attempt to get on a train. i did not say that i worked downtown, nothing wrong with being tight-lipped about why i was there at that time. i hadn't seen either one in a while, and i think one of them is not even a Facebook friend. some fellow comics being part of the protest crowd, now that didn't surprise me much. i also noticed another protester talking to a security guard for this building. why, i don't know. it was hard to ignore how it wasn't the typical workday for me. when i was walking through the skyway in the morning to get to Walgreen, i saw many signs up saying 'closed due to the general strike'. some appeared to be closed for the entire day; others were going to close early. most of these places i haven't been in or rarely go into. it was another day of leaving my car at home due to the subzero weather. when i was waiting to transfer, there was a nearby vending machine and i got two packs of salami sticks instead of one. in the evening i made a stop at Aldi just before closing time and picked up four items. i still might go to Hy-Vee this weekend though. i said i feel like i am living out my version of 'forrest gump', being a witness to history, a fly on the wall so to speak. i got this feeling when on the train, looking at my expression in the mirror when knowing most of the passengers were likely protesters. then there was seeing fencing around the federal building on the light rail line. 

label for 26-check file

 it took more than a day, but i finally got the overnight label i needed for a 26-check file. more than once in an email thread, i said to the business line that i can send it off once i get the label. and how UPS is preferred as i have way more of those envelopes than FedEx. and yet, no label was sent by the first contact. i got an out of office reply, but a colleague that was copied on the thread sent me the label. if a business line wants checks to go out, then they will approve the file so i can print it. that is usually the most common way a file is held up. most of the time, with this newer 'Cincinnati file' i have to ask for the label only once and then i have it the next morning. if there is a payee name but no address under it, then i no doubt will need a label. the checks were all going to the same place in New York City. more test checks were printed in the morning, eight in all. i sent them to my boss once printed. a surrogate picked up a check for a colleague in payroll, after it sat around for a day. and i had two visitors arrive at the shop at the same time, this has happened before. it was the delivery of an envelope order, six boxes. the other was the courier who was picking up an envelope of checks for our tax specialist. not a big deal, somebody has to go first. in this case it was the envelopes, but it didn't take long. 

sauce packets picked up

 in the morning i got a look around on the platform while waiting for the light rail. one odd thing i saw was some sauce packets, six in all. it was three each of ketchup and mustard. i was going to put them into a small plastic bag i saw them in, then noticed there was a hole in it. i tossed it in the trash and all of the sauce packets were put into my lunch bag. i can use them with my evening meal for the next two nights. if i find something of use, then i will use it. a big believer in wanting to avoid wasting things whenever possible. and i am also the type to pick up trash on the train and put it in a bin at my stop. i don't get paid to do it but i have cleaned up after others before. a rep from i.t. asked me to print some test checks, and i did, four in all. i wasn't familiar with one of the business lines mentioned, so i was told to skip it and that is why it was four instead of more than that. we are changing the signature on the checks. i am fine with printing from that file, only after the live checks are printed. and i got it done before having to start running the afternoon files through the inserter machine. 

not the wind

 at work, vacation replacement was in the shop in the afternoon. question was 'is that the wind?' no, it was protesters nearby. couldn't see them from where i was, though. then my colleague went to a higher floor and said they were across the street apparently. i didn't see that many remaining when i was done at the end of the day and wanted to get home on the light rail. also notable about the workday was one of the PDF files, an i-pay file from midday, had some issue and it was sent in a 'back-door' fashion so i could still print the checks in the file. it meant just trying again after i got an error message. when it popped up i sent it as a screen snip and was told just re-try so i did. it was a day of leaving my car at home as it was cold in the morning, subzero weather. not too big of a deal to me when it just means an extra step, take a bus and then the train. 

vatican unveiled exhibit

 i found a way to stay occupied on the bank holiday. i went to the mall of America and saw the 'Vatican unveiled' exhibit. this has a limited run, not even a month, so i knew i needed to go soon. i bought an early-entry ticket, just as it was opening for the day. it was just as well as it took me three hours to get a look at everything. i learned a few things while there, as expected. the conqueror, Napoleon Bonaparte, kidnapped a pope. this wasn't in any of the history books that i had read. and the Vatican as we know it, dates back to 1929 when it became an independent nation. before this there was the 'papal states'. i was impressed with all of the artifacts there. one posting said a baseball signed by pope frank was there, but i found out it was moved, no longer on public display. and i knew that JP2 had 'rock star status' but i was amazed at the items shown depicting him, including a comic book. there was mention of some of the papal visits to the USA in my lifetime that i recall were big news stories, especially the ones by JP2. there is still a question of when the current pope, Leo, will visit. but on becoming pope, Leo has said it wouldn't be right away. i bought two souvenirs while there, both were thin books. one was the 'exclusive companion experience' and the other was a 'graphic novel' about 'Catholics in the northland'. and there was a 'selfie station' at the end, where one could get a pic with a carboard cutout of pope Leo. i got one and had it sent to my phone. it was definitely time for lunch once i left the exhibit, and i went to DeLeo as i found out in advance that it is part of the 'dining for miles' program. i got one slice of pizza and liked the big collection of 80's pop culture artifacts on the walls there. then i got a scoop of ice cream at great American cookies, where i got some more airline miles. the final stop was the Japan store where i got another bottle of children's mouthwash as Charlie Brown characters are on the bottle. it was a smaller bottle this time, and i chose a different flavor, strawberry. 'jeopardy' was not on, pre-empted by basketball. i went to perform in the evening, and spoke about the movies seen recently, and the exhibit. 

il bidone movie

 in the evening i went to see the movie 'Il Bidone' at the Trylon in south Minneapolis. it was an Italian film, and the title was translated (although not a literal one) as 'the swindle' as it was about conmen. i chose this one in the Fellini series as i knew Broderick Crawford was in it. i noticed how one con plan was repeated, shown at the start of the movie and at the end, although a different set of conmen were with Broderick the second time. this was when a treasure chest was dug up. and it ends the way that one should expect it to end when it depicts illegal activity, with violence among the conmen. it proves to old adage about 'no honor among thieves'. i learned a few more Italian words since it was subtitled instead of dubbed. 'Ice cream' for 'gelato' and 'candy' for 'caramel', from a scene in a cinema when Broderick's character was with his daughter. those two items were being sold there. notable about the day was knowing the bears-rams football playoff game was also being played. i watched the first half of it and then headed to the movie theater. i checked the score of the game just before the movie began and found out it was tied early in the third quarter. i checked it again just after the movie ended and found out the bears lost in overtime. the patriots beat the Texans in the earlier game. in the early afternoon i went to the cub foods in Eagan as i had a craving for ice cream. i got a small tub and a slice of pumpkin pie as well. and some valentine-themed Charlie Brown stickers. and i stopped at the nearby copy store and printed the event tickets, postponed from a day before. 

is this thing on? movie

 in the afternoon i went to see a movie, 'is this thing on?' in Edina at Southdale mall. i understood it would be about stand-up comedy, but very little of what was depicted was related to that. it was more about the failing marriage of the main character, would decides to dabble in stand-up on a whim. and then tries to avoid telling anyone about it, including his two young sons. football great Peyton Manning has a cameo in it, but that was not enough for me. there are other movies about stand-up that i have enjoyed way more, especially the two i have seen with Mike Birbiglia, as they were 'as advertised'- depicted plenty of stage time. the movie will become considered 'dated' fairly quickly as well, since it mentions 'the Olympic games will be in Los Angeles in two years'. it was in reference to the Laura Dern character, the estranged wife of the main character, being an ex-volleyball player and deciding to get back into the sport as a coach. another role of hers that i didn't like, as in Jay Kelly' she refers to her client as 'an infant'. i stayed at the theater a few extra minutes after the movie had ended, to look around at the posters, and i noticed a pro football game was on. i was not alone on watching from a short distance the bar's TV which showed a field goal attempt to send a game into overtime. it was the bills-broncos playoff game, found out the broncos won it. when i got home i had the evening meal right away and made it over to Aldi for groceries just before closing time. i watched some of the 49ers-seahawks game as well. the seahawks were way ahead in the fourth quarter when i fell asleep. in the morning i went to the post office, but there was just a flyer in my box. i haven't ordered anything lately. i tried to print event tickets at a copy store but the computers were down. and i went to Jersey Mike's for lunch and used points to make it a free sandwich. 

sandwich from speedway

 i did well on getting groceries for the week when i went to Aldi the day i got back from Chicago, except for one thing. the evening meal at the end of the week of work for me. how i handled it was going to the nearby speedway gas station the night before and getting some popcorn and a ham and cheese sandwich. this meant i could spend some more time in after work before heading out tonight. when i did go out, it was to the Hy-Vee in Eagan for groceries. it was a small order, just nine items. i liked how i closed out the week with a fairly low volume day. it was just over two thousand checks, and there was no backlog to do in the morning like the two previous days. the number of overnights was lower as well, just twenty-four, and four of these were ones i just had to print the label as it was from the newer Cincinnati file. I've understood for a while in my work how the overnight volume is a big factor as to how long i stay after my normal leave time to have it caught up and in the box to be picked up. there was a gopher hockey game on fox-9 plus, but i didn't watch much of it as i wanted to get on the road. gophers lost to Michigan, i later found out. when i got back i watched a rerun of 'Boston blue', i hadn't seen that episode before. looks like this show will be back with new episodes next month. and likely some guest stars from 'blue bloods'. 

resilience, care, respect

 there was an email from the CEO, in reference to the recent immigration agent activity in the area. it spoke of resilience, care, and respect. i am used to hearing from a senior leader every so often about the 'news of the world', especially when it is a local thing. it is 'business as usual' in my corner of the bank. i am still being asked for information about checks i overnight. when i do, i don't just send the tracking number. i also check it in the system. there was two like this for the day. one of them was from the i-pay file, and it is 'on the way'. i sometimes have to tell a colleague that it is all about when UPS picks up from the box onsite, and this is just once a day and sometimes a little early. it was marked as an urgent manner on their end. another was delivered back before Christmas. it is still a case of me saying 'i did my part' in some form or another. there was another colleague added to a thread about two hundred tax checks expected soon, now i am told for February. i liked hearing from payroll, as i hear i am still getting some tax forms to send out this year, but the volume will be way lower. looks like we won't be seeing Texas and California like before, which were high volume in the past, especially the latter. now i am hearing it will be just one state, new jersey, and about two or three hundred, instead of thousands. all due to automation. i said i knew i had enough envelopes to cover it, as i already had some for their paystubs. 

digital mail issue?

 i heard from a colleague based in St. Louis, about returned checks that i am to send there. i said i don't get them for their business line that often, and i send them about once a week. when i do there is usually two or three checks in an envelope. there was some mention of going to digital mail back in November, i know i had sent some since then. during my summer visit to this city, i did find this facility, in the suburbs. i was interested in where it was since i sent things there often enough. the backlog did become smaller on the Fargo checks, as it usually does as the week goes on. it was over three thousand and now it is down to just over a thousand. the boss was not in, but not a big deal. i still got the work done just fine. 

interest accruing

 first day back at work, as expected there were some emails waiting for me. there were two of note from those two days. one of them said a colleague was on bereavement leave. the other was about a check i had overnighted. vacation replacement said i would be returning soon and would handle it. i needed the payee, check number and amount, and at first i didn't have all of this information. then someone from Fargo was roped in, and the check number yielded a different payee. i sent it to the address on the check, which was the dealer and not the bank. i was hearing 'interest accruing' on this loan, but i had done my part. it was overnighted by me, and the tracking number said it was delivered to the dealer. also, when i was out, it looks like some of the supply orders arrived, including the two boxes of UPS envelopes. it was a high-volume day for the Fargo checks and still getting the hot product error at times. it meant i was able to get the smaller file completed and out the door, but the other one will have to wait a day. 

pigs don't fly

 i began the day in elk grove village, Illinois, at my hotel, the super-8. i still like the continental breakfast and had a waffle again. as usual, i like how there isn't much to do on the final day in town. besides the breakfast, check out of the hotel and get on the road back to the airport. i did go past one place i recall from living there and noticed the Butera grocery store i once shopped at has changed again. it became a Walmart for a while and now it is a 'pickleball club'. at the hotel, i saw a wall phone with a GE logo on it, a reminder of my former employer. turned in the rental car and got on a tram that took me to the terminal. i bought some postcards and a sticker, then saw a big sign saying, 'pigs don't fly'. it was a public service ad from the USDA to prevent African swine fever. i flew a different airline leaving Chicago than the one that brought me there, wanting to use some miles to make one of them a free flight. two more notable songs from the trip, due to having the radio on in the rental vehicle, was by Sabrina Carpenter, and Eminem. first time i had heard Sabrina, it was 'espresso', i liked the line 'my give-a-damns are on vacation'. and as for Eminem it was one i wasn't familiar with, called 'smack that'. when i landed back at MSP i did go into some shops. first was open book, it had name recognition as i am a member of the loft literary center. i bought a greeting card. then it was to a Minnesota-themed shop where i got a Linus candy bar, along with a Charlie Brown and snoopy can cozy. then it was home. i picked up my car from long-term parking, checked in there for the first time since i had heard of a chance of snow and wanted to avoid being towed. no snow emergency texts on my phone, so it must have been very little snow when i was out of town. there was some snowfall when i was in Chicago, thankful i had a snowbrush to take care of it. then it was to Aldi to get groceries and watching 'jeopardy'. i went to perform in the evening, and most of my stories were about being out of town. 

life changers church

another morning that started with continental breakfast, but this time i chose cereal and toast. it looked like a 'smart toaster' as no lever to use, just buttons to program it with. then it was on to Hoffman Estates, for a church service. it was at life changers church, attending with a former coworker and her family. this included her husband, and youngest daughter, my guess is she was fourteen. i sent a text saying i could be found inside near the cafe. the service lasted about ninety minutes, starting and ending with music and most were standing. when we got to the scripture and sermon part, we sat down. it rang true with me, with mention of 'power', as i thought of how a favorite word from working in corporate America for a while became 'empowerment'. we had lunch at a nearby place, i had a wrap sandwich but needed a 'to-go' container for half of it much like the others did. eventually, we all needed to leave. i had another Wolves hockey game to attend, and the others had the daughter's soccer game to attend. i said i would like to make it back to the area next year. since my final payment on the car loan is this summer, i can more easily afford an annual trip. the hockey game felt different from the word 'go', compared to the previous night, and the result was different. the wolves might have trailed just like the night before, but there were more shots on goal this time. the wolves beat Manitoba, 4-3, in overtime. i enjoy the music played by the organist at this venue. 'Keep them separated' by offspring, when a fight was broken up early. 'Afternoon delight', from the movie 'good will hunting', during the 'kiss cam' segment. i bought one souvenir, a sticker with the team's logo on it, with the state of Illinois outlined. it pairs well with the free 'breakaway' magazine from the night before. it was nice relaxing back at the hotel after the game, nothing else planned for the rest of the trip. for the evening meal, i finished the wrap sandwich and fries, and got a donut and coffee at the nearby Dunkin Donuts. i watched some of the day's football playoff games, then on WGN i liked finding a show called 'backstory', which included a segment about 'donut day' from the salvation army. i found some peanuts at a nearby gas station, and another souvenir. it was a model racecar, with 7-11 as the sponsor, though i found it at a Mobil 'supreme station' which had a grocery store cart on the sign. it told me there would be more merch than a typical convenience store, and i was right. 

exhibit hall, wolves game

 another active day in Chicagoland for me. i liked starting off with the continental breakfast at the hotel, especially the 'make your own waffle'. then i drove around a little in the nearby northwest suburbs, to familiar areas. i went to the heavenly massage in mt. prospect, near the mall. after that it was on to Des Plaines, the town i once lived in. a few things had changed, no surprise there. i spent some time around the Metra station in the middle of town and got a pic of the sign at the former movie theater, now an event venue. there was an ad on their electronic sign inviting people to watch the bears-packers playoff game there. and in a window, i saw a poster about a drink called 'Marlot' that said 'do not enjoy responsibly'. i also got a pic of the small Lincoln statue inside the library after i went in to use the bathroom. i noticed the place called 'gift depot' is gone, replaced by a larger building that looks like housing. it was lunchtime by then, and i went to the first 'Ray Kroc McDonald's, or actually, the one across the street from the site of it. it is in a newer building, with no indoor seating. not a big deal, i went inside to place my order and then ate in my rental car in the parking lot. the house i once rented a room in now has a sign in the window saying, 'notary public'. i think i did research before that my ex-landlord no longer lives there. some nearby houses still had Christmas decorations up, some of them inflatable. i got a pic of one that had some snoopy decorations, another had the grinch. then it was on to Rosemont to take the train into the city. i looked around at the exhibit hall and bought one book from the u. of Missouri press. it was about baseball, i know, shocking. it is about the sport and 'the liberal-republican tradition in America'. i also got a pic of a couple dressed up in American revolution-era outfits. the dude wanted to share with me the letters from famous people about his cross-country walk in that outfit. i got some order forms from other places, since not all were selling their books at the convention. when i was leaving the convention i heard the smashing pumpkins song '1979' and saw many on the streets in bears gear as soldier field was nearby and it was game night. i needed to get on the train back to Rosemont to attend the Wolves hockey game. the wolves lost to the Texas stars, 3-1, final goal was on an empty net. when i was looking for beer to drink back at the hotel while writing, after the game, i was checking the score at two stops. when the wolves game ended, my phone said the bears were trailing early in the 4th. first stop, still trailing but narrowed the gap. then i ended up at a bar, but found out no karaoke, i found out THEY WON. must have been a wild 4th quarter. 

president reception, history convention

 i flew to Chicago and arrived just after midday. i arrived for my flight about two hours in advance and this left me some time to walk around and explore. as usual, i saw some art displays. one of them had an 'American gothic' parody, with mickey and minnie mouse as the stand-ins. i also bought some coffee and twinkies but had just one of the two twinkies there. i looked around a little once i touched down at O'Hare as well, a display that said, 'American heroes, portraits of service'. it was about those who had served in the second world war. there was an issue with my car rental, couldn't pick it up as the readers were unable to read my credit card. i had to find another company to rent from, that would allow me to tap my card. once i left the airport i was ready to have lunch, especially due to the delay. i wanted something that i couldn't find in the twin cities and went to the brown's chicken in elk grove village. one pic from there included what appeared to be actor/comedian Steve Carrell in their ad campaign. next stop was Woodfield mall in Schaumburg, as i had let my niece know i would be out of town. then there was a request to get a shirt that said Chicago on it. i figured this mall was my best bet, and it was. i found a store that sold mostly Chicago souvenirs. then i went to another store and got myself a pair of bears socks, knowing my existing pair would be in need of replacement soon. then it was to my hotel to get checked in. i wasn't there for long as i wanted to get into the city for the convention. first it meant getting to the CTA stop in Rosemont, the park and ride, then the train all the way to the loop. it was at the Hilton on Michigan avenue. i made it there midway through the speech by the organization's president, then stayed for the reception after it. i spoke with various people about history at the reception and had a Yuengling beer. there was some finger foods brought around as well. i spoke the most with an older man that spoke of being at Illinois tech, or IIT, which is in town, just a little south of the convention site. we even went back to the train station together, until both trains left. of course, we had to go in different directions to get to our respective destinations. i didn't do much after getting back to the hotel. 

p.r. is in d.c.

 there was an email at the bank saying it was a 'security update' related to the recent activity of immigration agents in the metro area. what i learned from it was that the given PR rep for the bank is in another city, the nation's capital. found this out just by checking the name in the employee directory. this was in relation to if the media is asking us to comment on anything. this sounds familiar to me. when i was doing call center work and there was the announcement of the closure of the Montgomery Ward stores, we were told to tell the media to contact our PR department. although we didn't have anyone from the media call us on our 800 number, to the best of my knowledge. most of the supply orders for the month have arrived, but one envelope order has not arrived in full just yet. it was a six-box order and just one has been delivered. there was a request to replenish, meaning print or create more, and the boss approved it. i was asked about the kind of flap, and i sent an image showing the curved flap is what we use. i had to draw around the flap so it would show up when scanned. i emailed a business line in their shared box about a returned check. it is from a business line that i am not too familiar with since we don't print many checks for them. when we do, it is often just one for the day. vacation replacement was ill, left early but was working from home. then i saw mention of who would be covering what after that. in the evening i paid two bills a few days early, moved up as i was preparing to be out of town for the weekend. i also went to a speedway gas station and got some milk for my cereal in the morning. i got some cheese, fruit punch, and a stick of turkey, the last of these from the discount table. 

returned canada checks

 still seeing some weird emails. there was one from Canada, finally responding to my sending of an image of a returned check back in April. i said i was unable to reroute the check as i had overnighted it back to the business line in Toronto a week ago. ten returned checks in all from the past year were in the envelope. there was a team huddle in the afternoon, and my lunch was moved up for this reason. some joined remotely due to working from home, vacation replacement was one of them. the senior leader that had sent an e-card this week sent another notable email, this one about the weather. it said 'use your best judgment' related to deciding to work from home. expectations still are at three days a week in the office, although with my role i am already in the office all five days of the week. 

printing from lock icon

recently i had seen an email from a colleague i didn't know about printers. i found out the server was changing for the two check printers. i followed up and said vacation replacement helped with switching over, and now these printers are found on a 'lock icon'. i say this because the icon, found on my task bar, looks like a lock and one can see the keyhole on it. sometimes i am asked to do check copies, but not every time do i find what is being asked for. i did a second look and said nothing was found under the name 'Hitchcock'. i ask for payee, amount and check number, and this leaves me more confident when having all three that I've found the right one. a ticket opened from October was finally closed, after the toner cartridge arrived, but that was not why it was originally opened. the boss wanted it re-opened due to the overflow pages we get on some files, although it just led to aggravation. the printer would be remotely re-booted without advance notice, and in the middle of a big print job no less. and i was fine with printing the overflow pages on the same printer as the main page, which we did for two years when there was no second printer. i have no plans to say that it was closed as there had been no action on it for a while anyway, so the boss wasn't asking about it at all. a senior leader that i rarely see or hear from sent an e-card, the 'best in us' program, as i recall it was about contributions made in the past year to the team. 

filter by zip code

 at work i still see some unusual things each day. two things in particular stood out to me. there was one from a shared box when i asked for a toner cartridge to replace the one sent that was the wrong kind. finally got a response, it was to say that it was delivered nearly a week ago. i confirmed that it arrived, on a day off for me, accepted by vacation replacement. i had also made the request on a ticket that was opened months ago, and i guess it was acknowledged there more quickly. another was the account closure file from Kansas City, i send out plenty of overnighted checks for them. i was told that there would be just one file for the day instead of two. i was given a heads-up as some were missed in terms of needing to be marked as 'overnight'. i take it upon myself to filter out those with no zip code as i know those are 'return to business line'. and the same is true with those over ten thousand, which are to be overnighted as long as it is not going to a PO BOX. i liked how they let me know, nonetheless. some with no zip code were flagged and some were not, as i recall about ten in all were sent to Kansas City. 

walgreen then candy wrappers

 after a morning visit to Walgreen, i stayed busy going through a bag of clipped comedy sets and candy wrappers from the past year. i picked up some cough drops, a greeting card, and cookies. i found out the cookies were not discounted despite being in the same aisle as the seasonal items. i knew i shouldn't let the comedy sets pile up as much as i did, but I've said it before. some things are more fun than others and there always seemed to be something higher priority than that. there are multiple candy wrappers from the variety mic but i pick just one from each week that goes onto the page and then into a sheet protector, and no surprise how multiple pages were filled. i watched some of the NFL games of the day, the final day of the regular season. the bears game had a late-afternoon time slot, and the bears were getting blanked by the lions when i left to go to a bar to perform. then i get to the bar and found out the bears had closed the gap but still lost by a field goal. after i was done performing, i watched some of the Sunday night game, steelers over the ravens. this game also had a wild fourth quarter. when performing i was annoyed at hearing mention of a monument in another state where the comic didn't get their facts straight so i answered the joke. i also did stories about what i did on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, the bank, seeing a movie, and apps on my phone. 

david movie

 in the afternoon i went to see the movie 'David' in Edina at Southdale mall. i ordered an advance ticket, as i am not aware of any other way to use the gift card that Yemen native had sent me a year ago. this finished the balance, and the rest i covered with PayPal. enjoyed the story that was told, especially when he slew goliath. when the movie ended and before the closing credits were shown, there was a request to 'pay it forward' which meant help others pay to see this movie, especially kids. i think this same request was made when i saw another movie based on the bible in the past year, 'king of kings'. musician Lauren Daigle voices Rebecca in it. i am familiar with some of her songs, especially 'you say'. there were plenty of previews as well, one was a 'toy story' sequel. another was a biopic about ben franklin. since we are in the year of the America-250 celebration, no surprise how there will be some movies about the founding fathers. this one is due out in the spring. i even saw a display about a 'scream' sequel, in the hall. when i was searching for the biopic online after getting home, i found another one, about George Washington. that one is due out in early July. i watched the trailers for both on YouTube. in the morning i went to the post office, but no orders were there to be picked up. then it was to the credit union, depositing change. just over seven dollars was run through the change counter. i had the employee confirm that my car loan is due to have its final payment in July, and i like how the end is near. then i went to cub foods and found a quart of egg nog, surprised to see so much there when it is after Christmas. but it does prove that old adage how 'selection varies by store'. i also bought a diecast model car from the movie 'cars', it was the Hudson and has a Santa hat on it. after the movie i had the evening meal at home and then went to Aldi for groceries. for lunch i had a sandwich at Jersey Mike's. in the evening i tried to watch a football game but fell asleep and missed the ending. the seahawks beat the 49ers. 

two emails, one check

 i get back to the office and i am sent two emails about the same check. i found out it was one from the Cincinnati file that i had placed in the overnight bin, but it still hadn't been picked up yet. i was not aware that UPS wouldn't pick up anything on New Year's Eve. i figured that was it after the emails, but it wasn't. i got an instant message and was told that the client was still calling in about it. then i was called by UPS and was told it likely would be picked up near the end of the day. it wasn't going to get picked up any earlier just because somebody kept calling about it. usually when i say i have done my part, i don't hear any more about it. something about the client needed the check to make payroll. i even sent proof of when i was sent the label that i needed as i wanted to prove 'due diligence' here. i did check the tracking number late in the day and it was picked up. it was a fairly low volume day for overnights so i had them all in the drop-box early. i told a colleague that it looks like i have to 'bow out' on the building's food events at work as the registration has now moved to an app that i can't add to my android phone. one voluntary food event a month is not a good enough reason to change phones. thankful the popcorn event does not require registration, but it is canceled this month. in the morning i went to Walgreen for tea and cookies and picked up a discounted Charlie Brown holiday item- blocks that help count down the days. in the evening i went to the Hy-Vee in Eagan, it was a small order, just five items. i watched some of the holiday bowl on TV as well, SMU beat Arizona. 

comic book signing

 went to the comics brunch in Eagan just before midday. i had a scheduling conflict a year ago but no conflicts this time. a small crowd but i didn't mind, as i was less likely to get annoyed with comics that i don't like. i chatted with three comics while there, one of them was the event coordinator, that i knew from being a co-star on a fringe show. two others were the wolf, and the former lunch lady. the wolf had books that us comics could sign, but these weren't 'superhero' comic books. they were ones about local stand-up comics, two of the three were written by a dude that has interviewed me twice. i also noticed a movie ticket was taped near the front of one of the books, as i recall it was 'taken', the movie with Liam Neeson. the wolf apparently told his kids he wasn't going to rescue them like in that movie. in reality, no one should expect that. there was a familiar face at a table near ours, but i think it was a coworker and i wanted to get out of there before i was recognized. i don't talk about performing at the bank, and it had worked just fine to keep those two things separate. i heard from a friend of mine in St. Louis, a text message wishing me a happy new year. earlier the dude spoke of Indiana u., and i knew this school would be playing in the rose bowl. i checked the score later in the day and they beat Alabama.