courier did not return

 sometimes the checks for the tax specialist are courier pick-up, especially later in the week when the dude is working from home. i finally decided to ask the name of the courier who has been picking them up since we were moved downtown over a year ago. i spoke of the previous one, saying we did chat a little and how we'd be moved once he got back from Africa to visit family. the courier said he did not return. it did remind me of how this man spoke of being on WhatsApp with a lady, apparently divorced but interested in getting remarried. we even exchanged waves. this leads me to think the trip was to see more than just family and deciding to stay in Africa due to a better offer- for love. the boss said to hold off on searching for the reject fax on another floor until further notice. i reported how i search for it once a week, on a day when most are working from home, and hadn't found it in three weeks. fine with me. two checks for payroll were printed, in the afternoon. i pointed out to the boss about a low volume check file still had the old signature on it. this led to it being changed, but I.T. has to change it. in the evening i went to the Hy-Vee in Eagan for groceries. it was a small order, seven items. but i try to buy what i need, no more no less. i watched some of the UFL football game on TV, Dallas at st. louis. Dallas won a close one, aided by penalties. i tried to watch a fellow comic, Yemen native, on 'comics unleashed' but fell asleep during the 10pm news and missed the start of the show. i was familiar with two of the three jokes i heard, those still work for me. 

former boss responded

 i had spoken of what i did over the Memorial Day weekend to vacation replacement, and it led to me sending a message to a former coworker, who was briefly my boss at a former job. i got a response in the morning, the day after sending the message. but i kind of expected a delay as there is often a red dot to indicate his status, meaning 'in a meeting'. due to the employee directory, i found out we work in the same building now. had to catch up a little on how we both are doing, but soon i hope to ask if it is possible to go lunching as it can be boring to be lunching by myself all of the time. i was invited to the facility manager meeting, a dial-in, but it was brief, just over ten minutes. vacation replacement dropped off some outgoing mail, near the end of my lunch. i was on the main floor as i wanted a snack. there was also a mention a 'kudo board' being created by a colleague in another office. 

grease movie

 in the evening i went to see the movie 'grease', in Eagan. it was part of the 'flashback cinema' series. it added to my point total with the loyalty account but still not there yet on the reward level. i had been getting plenty of emails about it. i had seen the movie a few times before, but it had been a while. i recall singing in the chorus and one concert was songs from this movie, especially 'summer nights'. had to get past the scenes where people are bullied or pranked, but i am aware of how art imitates life. my parents even had the movie soundtrack on an 8-track tape. this movie is still fun to watch. i figured it was a good warmup to attending a drag brunch soon where this movie is the theme. i ate at the nearby taco bell, then went in to purchase the movie ticket. i did order some food and drink inside the theater, bottled water and some fries, but i ended up taking most of the water home as i wanted to increase the odds of needing a bathroom break during the movie. the fries were brought to my seat in the auditorium i was in. i still like the opening scene a lot, as it is animated. same reason why i like the scene at the drive-in theater as one can see animation in the background, advertising the food and drink. then there's hearing the song 'la Bamba' at the diner, a reminder of a biopic i still enjoy watching. along with the line 'blanche, stop blubbering'. that scene included mention of famous people, had to ask my parents who Rosemary Clooney was as her nephew, George, wasn't famous yet. i drove straight from the park and ride to the theater complex as i wanted to be on time. at work, there was a check sent to another floor, in the afternoon. the second i-pay file was nearly 1800 checks, and those did not go out same day except for a check to be overnighted and i was emailed about that one. the toner cartridge for one of the check printers was swapped out late in the day. 

unmonitored shared box?

at work i had a question from a colleague about a check file that i print. i said it was low volume, few and far between. just seven checks for the month, just over 40 for the year. something about a caller had questions on a payment. the file has a return address in Memphis, although the only contact we have is a shared box and no one responded when i sent a message there. i got a 'thumbs up' when i spoke of it. one clue from a check that was returned said forwarding time expired and seemed to say the business line moved to the suburbs of Kansas City. but it doesn't seem like a high enough priority to pursue further. i saw a text message and i was asked to confirm a dental appointment, in a week from now. two payroll checks were picked up, in the morning. i said 'you win a cookie' to the tax specialist, in reference to the movie 'Kelly's heroes'- about being the first visitor of the day to pick up checks.  

there was a tavern

 i went to perform in the evening, it was the final edition of this variety open mic, at least with this show runner. there was a page passed around near the end, it had the lyrics of what we'd be singing, 'those were the days'. a lyric from early in the song is 'there was a tavern'. sometimes i call a bar a 'tavern' as my old man sometimes used that term. i don't know much about what the show will be like going forward, and this includes being unaware of who is taking over as show runner. some pizza was ordered and i did have some of it, besides the typical bags of candy that somebody usually brings. I've seen plenty of shows I've performed at close over the years, so this isn't new to me. although this show means more when it is the main one i perform at after cutting back due to the pandemic. the venue does have another show I've performed at, on a different night of the week. if need be, i will just go to that alternate show more often. besides my testimonial of what the show means to me, and many others gave one besides me, i did my typical set. i did stories about the hike, the movie, the baseball game, how two TV shows are essentially the same, and the bank. for lunch i had hoped to go to a bar which serves a famous sandwich, but it was closed for the holiday. i had recently picked up some art which is an image of the bar. try again when they are open, i guess. i went to an Arby's instead. i also did a chore in the morning, the dishes. it was moved back one day as i was too tired to do those on my customary day. and i could justify it when i had the day off for the bank holiday. lately i have been doing plenty of study online, with articles and YouTube videos, about converted or repurposed buildings. in the twin cities, i have seen some just before closure and expected conversion, some after it, some before and after. for the third category, what stands out the most is three grocery stores and a dollar store. the grocery stores switched to another chain, largely due to one chain's star being on the decline such as rainbow, or a Supervalu turned independent store. those three were snapped up by stronger competitors- cub foods, Hy-Vee, and Aldi. and the dollar store became a microbrewery. but i know that all kinds of buildings have been converted, including houses of worship. sometimes the houses of worship can switch to another faith like the grocery stores did. when i was doing all of this study, including why not just buildings but also people convert to another faith- it reminded me of some college classes. i really liked the western civilization class, and it was one reason why i decided to major in history. i still very much have a love of learning. 

talk of the town movie

 just before midday i went to a movie in Columbia Heights, it was 'talk of the town', part of their Cary Grant series. although the character i ended up liking the most in the movie wasn't him, it was the law school instructor that later defended him. i liked his speech near the end about the rule of law. it reminded me of the final speech in Charlie Chaplin's 'great dictator', which is from the same era. i got some popcorn and bottled water while there. i saw a promo for another movie, it is a documentary about bitcoin. while there i liked listening to public radio in my car, there was a segment about ultimate fighting and a prominent man in this sport is friends with the president. there was a mention of its history, including senator John McCain once calling it 'human cockfighting' which was a catalyst in getting more regulation of it. after the movie i found a trivia book, art and science, in a nearby little free library. then i got in my car and drove to a gas station. i was low on gas and got a sandwich as well. i spent some time at home, but not too long as i wanted to get to the St. Paul Saints baseball game. the saints lost to Omaha, 5-3. as usual, there was some of the long ball in the game. during my walks around the stadium, it was cool to be recognized by school bouncer. i was introduced to his family. not too many get this same gleeful greeting that i gave to this dude. since it was Memorial Day weekend, there was food trucks after the game and then a fireworks show. i ordered from the converted ambulance again, 'dine 1 1'. i found a Filipino food truck there as well, but only after i already had some food. it reminds me of a former coworker who is Filipino. during the game and fireworks show it was cool to hear music, as usual. standouts were a movie song, 'everybody's talking', from 'midnight cowboy', then 'party in the USA' by Miley Cyrus. i sent some text messages as well, the one i sent to Yemen native, i hit send just as the fireworks began. the other was to a classmate from high school, the first one in nearly a year. i had heard from the former much more recently, but it was still three months ago and i said it was time to send another text. 

our birth hospital

 i went on a hike through meetup in the evening. i was on the wait list at first but a spot opened up hours before the event began. i made it to Aldi for groceries and then it was to the park in Bloomington. i stopped to eat at a holiday gas station about a mile away, at the outset not where i planned to stop. but due to construction, i said i need to exit here as i didn't want to wreck my car. it worked out just fine on getting a sandwich there. i liked this hike more as it was more engaging, even though i have been to this venue before. enjoyed the chats i had with two people on the walk. i was introduced to the second by the event organizer. when it was done it was to the campfire, and some of us roasted marshmallows for smores including me. a group event we did was share what hospitals we were born in. this is where i found out there were two other Iowa natives at this event. as i recall, one from Sioux City and the other cedar rapids. i only briefly spoke with both as i was in the parking lot, when i was getting ready to drive home. i did plenty of the typical chores and errand running as well earlier in the day. there was going to the post office, one order was picked up. i framed it when i got home as i was the photo of Rick Monday saving the flag. i had lunch at jersey mikes and used some points to make it a free sandwich. other notable things were hearing an instrumental version of the song 'mad world' on a Facebook posting for grain belt beer. i liked finding versions of the song on YouTube, more familiar with the Gary Jules cover than the tears for fears original. there was also the news story about the end of the line for Schlitz beer. i haven't drank it much, can be hard to find. i have a postcard of the brewery in Milwaukee in my collection. i recall reading how it was the number one beer for a while. then Anheuser-Busch became number one, aided by the brewery buying the st. louis cardinals baseball team and becoming a big sponsor of this sport and others. 

janitor visits

 sometimes the janitor visits the check shop, but not too often. i have noticed it is most likely in the morning, and at the end of the week if at all. this was the case for the day, and when i got back from another floor i noticed the floor had been mopped. i was opposed to this, even said so to my boss, as i didn't want to fall and get hurt on a wet floor. it was yet another case of the reject fax, the reason why i leave the floor, was not found. someone must have beat me to it. i am asked to find it and forward it only once a week, a day where most are working from home. i received another pull and shred request, like most of the previous ones it was from the fraud file. and this time it was an email and an instant message. if i see both, especially in the afternoon, more likely i will find it in time as i have deadlines to meet. two checks for payroll were printed, ready for pick-up. hard to say when though, but most likely after the three-day weekend is complete as there is the upcoming Memorial Day holiday. in the evening i went to Hy-Vee in Eagan for groceries. eight items, as usual a small enough order to go through the express lane. i did my customary visit to Walgreen in the morning, and i noticed the cashier didn't ring up the america-250 word find book. were they new? probably. 

use one not the other

 there was a request from the Cincinnati file that said use one check but not the other. this is the file where most checks are overnighted. once i was caught up on check printing, i reviewed what i had in front of me. then i reviewed the email. i said 'got it' on what they wanted. the checks had different amounts, this is likely why a second check was cut as there was something not correct about the first one. for this reason, i wouldn't call it 'duplicated'. another check was sent to the floor where most of my colleagues were on, but to a different employee. this time the team lead, who has fishing tattoos. it was a check from the i-pay file. the second file of this kind from the previous day was late, and i got it moved in the morning. two payroll checks were picked up, i had notified that department two days prior. 

dropoff during lunch

 at the end of my lunch i decided to walk a rare FedEx envelope over to the drop box in another building, walking through the skyway. when i got back i noticed how my vacation replacement had dropped off some returned checks. thankful i still don't get FedEx that often, but when i do i don't mind the exercise i get. during lunch sometimes i don't walk at all, aside from to and from the bathroom and breakroom, and those are on the same floor as me. sometimes i am aware of the sense of urgency from internal customers. case in point, there was a check copy request where i received an email and an instant message about it. it said it was due to needing to be reviewed prior to their response. 

business line move delayed

 notable about the workday was hearing that a business line, based in San Diego, would be moving. but this move has been delayed until august. a check to be set aside for the manager who likes karaoke was sent to that floor just before i went to lunch. more people were added to a thread about the earlier envelope order. a new order was submitted, and the earlier one was canceled. i guess this means we found out better about what kind to order and what was available. still a question on when it might arrive. 

envelope order issues

 at work, there was an envelope order for a business line that we are taking over soon. my boss and the colleague who places the order for me were copied on an email from the supplier, which said it was not available. another email was about a check i had overnighted to Korea that was stuck in customs. i let them know what was inside the package. i had no knowledge of a phone number for the recipient. when a check is going to a foreign land, i have to enter one and i enter my office phone, attached to my laptop. a toner cartridge was picked up from the mailroom, and the ticket was closed. in the evening i went to perform. i did stories about art a whirl, the opera, the offspring song, and the bank. 

art a whirl

 i went to a meetup event in the afternoon, it was at art a whirl. i don't think i had been to this event before, in Minneapolis. i studied the logistics and decided to take the light rail and then a bus to get there. the meetup event was in the basement of the 'casket' building. i guess this was the name of a ghost business on the outside of the building. they called this place serving beer a 'speakeasy'. i got a can of beer there and walked around the art displays for sale in this building. i bought one item, a postcard-sized print. it had Paul Bunyan on it next to the grain belt beer sign. i went to one other venue, it meant crossing the railroad tracks to get to the Northrup King building. i liked seeing yet another repurposed building, as i knew this was the name of a seed corn company when i was growing up in Iowa. saw a pregnant mannequin there. and i paused when i heard a radio on, the song was 'gone away' by the offspring. for lunch there was food trucks nearby. i got a meat pie from a British-themed truck, then some ben and jerry's ice cream nearby. 

pagliacci opera

 went to an opera this evening in downtown St. Paul, 'Pagliacci'. i think this was my third opera, and first since seeing 'La Boheme'. i liked the 'show within a show'. but this is done because it was covering how art can imitate life. it resonated with me about the main character, the clown, spoke of needing to go onstage even if not feeling fully up to it as people are expecting a show. seating was good, in the back but the view was pretty decent as i was in the middle of the row and section. one intermission, i walked around for most of it. i played 'tears of a clown' by Smokey Robinson when i got home as i knew this opera was name-checked in the song. for lunchtime i went to burger king in Eagan. wanted the Star Wars-themed meal and got the garlic chicken fries, lower calorie than the whopper. then i got a double scoop at the Baskin Robbins down the road. gold medal ribbon and cookie monster were my choices. i made it to Aldi for groceries before the opera. in the afternoon i did watch some of the UFL football game, but st. louis lost to Houston in a close game. as usual, the observation i have is that most teams have plenty of chances to win, but turnovers doomed st. louis in this one. 

two cartridges arrived

 i was pleased that two toner cartridges were delivered. it was sent by two different couriers though, not sure why. but both are usable for check printing. the boss said the second one had his name on it, in the afternoon. i had hoped to pick it up when i sent the regular mail tubs to the mailroom, but a colleague said it was preferred to be picked up right away. something about how it would throw off their reporting if i didn't. the Cincinnati file sent me a FedEx label, first time since February and just the seventh overall. i saw that it was put in the box much earlier than those going UPS when the box is farther away, in another building but still able to get there via the skyway. a test check was printed for the Cincinnati file. it seemed to be a lot like those that i already print. it is nearly the same address, but a different business line name and mail code. in the evening i went to Hy-Vee in Eagan for groceries as usual. there was a UFL football game on, Orlando at Dallas, but i didn't watch much of it. notable how it was played on a military base, fort hood. i am picking up some more patriotic items. during the Hy-Vee visit it was firecracker Oreo cookies, as well as a coloring book, since it is the year for america-250. 

business cards misdirected

 i had to say i was not in the mailroom, or in that office, when i was sent an email about misdirected business cards. i did see that some colleagues in the mailroom were copied on the response, though. i think some of the confusion arises from my email signature says i am a mail clerk. but i prefer to say that i am a check printer on my income tax returns. the boss was in the shop and noticed some things stacked up near one wall. this was not just empty copy paper boxes, but also two laser jet toner cartridges. i had to say that we were sent those even though i had already told them that we can't use them for check printing. then i was advised to call in a ticket, in this case send an instant message to the help desk. a ticket was open and i am hopeful that we get the correct toner cartridge soon enough. not yet a sense of urgency, when a spare one is ready to go if needed, but hard to predict when i need to swap it out. machines still sometimes send some weird messages. before lunchtime, i noticed how the screen went blank on the inserter machine when i was running checks through. it kept running for a little bit, then stopped. but i am not too worried just yet when rebooting it seemed to correct it. i try not to call techs unless i can't figure it out on my own. 

email thread forwarded

 not too much was notable about work for the day. but i still sometimes get some weird scenarios, ones that i didn't think were possible. case in point. one colleague, from suburban Milwaukee if i am not mistaken, sent an image of a check that i had overnighted and wanted to know what it was for. i had sent checks to that office before, but to other people. i knew that file, the business line is based in Hopkins. the best thing to do in this case was to forward the email thread to show the tracking numbers. then this colleague has others to contact if there are any more questions to be answered. i find it odd that the colleague wasn't copied on the original thread. some mention of the names on the check might not be correct, but of course i just print checks, i don't approve them. 

on again, off again dial-in

 there was a dial-in meeting in the afternoon with the boss, it was with the office in Marshall. but it was on again, off again. the colleague in Marshall was hard to find, and the boss rescheduled for the next day, same time. but once our colleague was found, we did the dial-in. something about another meeting ran long as i recall. there was two payroll checks set aside, different recipient names on them. but i am used to just one person picking all of them up and that is fine with me. i was asked why a check to be overnighted from the Cincinnati file was not picked up yet. if it is like most others, it was due to arriving late in the day, after the listed pick-up time on the box. there was also an inquiry on an earlier overnighted check saying the business name of the recipient was not correct. i send it to wherever i am told to send it to, and that means going by the name on the check or whatever name is on the shipping label. especially if the label was forwarded to me. 

red letter date

 i went performing in the evening and i realized it was a red-letter date for me. some notable anniversaries were happening. things like graduation, then leaving my native state a few years later. other stories told were about the weekend in Iowa to visit family, singing at a karaoke bar, and the bank. at work, there was notable things as well. a pull and shred request on the fraud file arrived, but had to tell them it was late, unable to help them. there were tax checks to be set aside. the mailroom sent me a blue company envelope; another refund check was inside. 

aim found at dollar tree

 i began the day in Ankeny, Iowa, at my hotel, the days inn. i like how there isn't much to do on the final day in town. there is have breakfast, check out of the hotel, and get on the road. it is nice having a continental breakfast at the hotel, one less meal to find each day. i have this in mind when i choose hotels to stay at. i am thankful i didn't hit the road right after breakfast, though. the CBS morning news had a segment about actor-comedian martin short. i mainly knew him as the third of the 'three amigos', not as well-known as the other two. when i made it back to the twin cities in the mid-afternoon, i dropped off some things at home. then i went to Robbinsdale and first stopped at the dollar tree. a previous visit for a meetup event led me to finding out there was aim toothpaste there, it can be hard to find. i bought a tube of it there. then i went to the McDonald's and had some ice cream. i also went to the Aldi near me for groceries. i decided to use the rental car as long as i could and then returned it just minutes before it was due, in the evening. notable from the drive home was the music, as usual. i like having it on when i am in the car. there was a movie song, 'Flashdance, what a feeling'. i liked the line 'take your passion, make it happen'. i often speak of passion, it was absent from my life for a while, then i found it in performing. others i heard were 'angel' by shaggy, and 'memories' by maroon 5. both of those still work for me. 

greenbelt park, clive

 in the afternoon was the graduation party i was invited to, at greenbelt park in Clive. it was my cousin's daughter that was the guest of honor, and the first time i had seen my cousin in eight years. i also saw my two siblings, and my dad, as well. the siblings arrived after i did. my brother spoke some of his line of work, at FedEx, and it sounded familiar since i overnight checks at the bank but with a different courier. the graduate was at Des Moines Christian, a small school i knew very little about, but plans to study biochemistry at drake university, also in Des Moines. in the mid-morning i started the drive from my hotel, after watching the local news, to the cracker barrel in Clive. i found the two items i was looking for, it was a patriotic snoopy towel, and an america-250 shirt. then i saw my niece at the dairy queen in Waukee. i did have some ice cream there near the end of the visit. it was the first time seeing the second daughter, who is not quite a year old just yet. the first daughter seemed to enjoy the three gifts i brought her. she fell and hurt her elbow, but i think she will be all right. my niece said i would be tagged in photos on Facebook from this visit. it was midday by then and i spoke of wanting to eat at a maid-rite sandwich shop, loose meat sandwiches, they don't have that in the twin cities. i found one at merle hay mall, although it was tough to see how half of the storefronts in the food court were empty. i know the mall has lost some anchor stores, the opening of Jordan Creek mall didn't help. but i know this one is doing better than two others in the area. Southridge is now a mall in name only, and valley west sank into bankruptcy and might get demolished. after my cousin's event, i did a quick tour of my hometown of newton. i got a pic of Emerson Hough school, then had a meat loaf meal at the Hy-Vee. in the evening i was back at my hotel for a little bit, and there was an interview with the president on one channel. then i had the urge to get moving again and went to sing at a karaoke bar near a mall. i sang 'the door' by teddy swims, it resonates with me as i know what it is like to say that i have had enough. and it sounds like my niece did too and based on what she said about her mom then i don't blame her at all for doing so. 

where is the c?

 i hit the road after work and my stop along the way was at a 'Maverik' gas station. but where is the c? i correctly guessed this used to be the 'Kum and Go' gas station and convenience store. this was just south of the state line as i was headed to see family for the weekend. no surprise how i made it to my destination late, just after midnight. after checking into the hotel, i realized that the refrigerator was rattling too much and was keeping me up so i unplugged it. i wanted to see that some loose ends were tied up before leaving town, and after i had picked up the rental car. this was why i didn't leave as early as i had hoped. i also needed to pack my bag and wrap the box that included the three gifts in it. at work there was two notable things. one was a dial-in meeting, it was a 'global' one for our department as some offices are in other nations. this was mid-morning, then i did my customary visit to Walgreen. i picked up three greeting cards while there, and it took a little longer than typical as i wanted to see that i got the right cards for all three recipients. the shared box mentioned an address change for one of our business lines, taking effect next month. it is based in San Diego. i said it looks like something that needs to be forwarded on, so i.t. and my boss were copied on the response. 

laptop issue resolved

 in the evening i went to the best buy in Eagan and the laptop issue was resolved. i wasn't thrilled about having to wait for a geek squad agent, though. a man kept talking to the employee at the desk and it took a few minutes before i even heard i could sit at a nearby table for an agent. i am demonstrative and said 'that', in terms of the issue i was dealing with. i was told the remote agent had made it too restrictive as most websites use java scripts. i tested it while still in the store, and it worked just fine. i did one quick survey for airline miles, as i know some surveys bounce me early but i still get a small number of miles for my time. i also went to Jersey Mike's for a sandwich before that, as i go there every two weeks but decided to move up my visit by two days. odd how the sandwich maker said i made it in once a week, except i don't make it in that often. there was a check to send to another floor, to the manager that likes karaoke, i did so just after midday. she had just stepped away so a nearby employee accepted on her behalf. there was a weird popup in the morning, saying i needed a restart, shortly after i had logged on for the day. it was popcorn day, i enjoy this event as usual. after this was done i found my way to a branch where i contributed to the memorial fund. i figured this was the best time to do so as i had already stepped away for the popcorn and the branch was close by. the boss spoke of another Cincinnati check file to create. why, i don't know. there are already twenty such files and we've printed checks for just half of them. a payroll check was picked up. i sent 28 overnights to the box, one of them was from the Cincinnati file. there was an instant message saying it needed to go out same day. i said i had already printed the check and just needed to release the label from the secure printer. 

airline surveys blocked

 in the evening i knew something was wrong as i was unable to do the online surveys for airline miles. i tried to handle it on my own, to no avail as it was still blocked. i called the geek squad again but this time the agent said they couldn't handle it and set up an appointment for me to go to a best buy store in person. not thrilled about that but i had no choice. at work the main thing was asking about when the check stock would arrive. the big envelope order for the month arrived two days ago so it was time to ask about the other big order i place each month. lately the colleague who officially places the order for me has to follow up with the supplier and send the purchase order. as i recall, when my boss asked about it, the supplier said it was an i.t. issue on their end as to why it wasn't going through. 

upgrade kicked in

 the boss saw me press the button requesting the laptop upgrade happen near the end of the workday when the popup arrived early in the day. i saw that i was caught up on overnights a little early and decided to stay at the office until i saw the upgrade kick in. it didn't right at 5pm, unless you count one black screen with a few characters on it. then a few minutes later, i saw a message box in the middle of the screen and knew it had fully kicked in. it did some upgrades right away. i was satisfied when i saw it begin and didn't need to stay much longer after that, especially when it was slated to last four hours. i needed a password reset from i.t. before a dial-in meeting, as i was requested to print a check during it. only one though, it reminded me of some Saturday mornings at the previous office where this is all i needed to print. there was mention of a memorial fund for colleagues who were murdered last week. it said, 'please contribute if so moved'. i likely will but prefer to wait until i am caught up with work before leaving the shop if at all possible. when i was paying on my PayPal account in the evening, i must have clicked on the wrong one and then got popups. i called the geek squad and got it corrected but it took a little while on the phone. 

third man movie

 in the evening i went to see a movie at the Trylon, it was 'third man'. it was part of the 'rubble noir' series. i had heard of Joseph Cotten, but don't think i had seen any of his roles previously. i was no doubt familiar with Orson Welles. i kept thinking of a game show, if i am not mistaken, asking contestants if they would want the refrigerator of Richard Simmons or Orson Welles. since of course the latter got fatter later in life. the setting of the movie is Vienna, with occupied zones, just a few years after World War Two ended. Welles plays the character presumed dead, and Cotten plays his friend, who just arrived and is investigating it. Cotten's character is a writer, and some recognize him for his craft. it was pretty good, kept me guessing until the end. the scenes in the sewers and on the Ferris Wheel stood out to me. when i got home i ordered a ticket for another movie at this venue, as part of the 'bleak week' series a month from now. at work i was asked for the shared box by the Fargo file personnel. it was related to tracking for overnighted checks. i said i only send tracking numbers if requested. there were just four returned checks found for our internal business line when going through the returned check file. i pressed 'remind me tomorrow' when a popup arrived about a four-hour laptop upgrade. customer service asked me about a voided UPS label, wanting to know why a check didn't ship. i said i needed to create another one as the address needed to be changed, then shared the alternate tracking number. an odd request as i figured that customer service would have already had it as i set it up to have all tracking numbers going there. 

josie and the pussycats movie

 in the morning i watched a DVD movie, a recent purchase from goodwill, 'josie and the pussycats'. this was one i had heard about recently as it was part of the 'bad company' series through the Trylon cinema. i lucked out that i found a copy so quickly after that. i still have the mock timecard from the series, where it is listed. plenty of satire and social commentary in it, which i liked. and it was campy as well. the funniest character had to be melody the drummer, who was cartoonishly dumb. but when this is based on archie comics, it makes sense to stay a little authentic to the source material. then after having lunch at home, i headed to the stadium for another Saints baseball game. this was a closer game, as the Saints won, 8-7, over the Iowa Cubs. there was a 9th inning rally, and the game ended on a swinging strikeout on a full count with the bases loaded. one doesn't see that scenario too often. after the game i walked around the downtown area a little and ended up at Candyland where i got a small box of popcorn. i also saw displays about upcoming shows at a nearby venue that i will want to research. i stayed downtown a little longer as i went to perform. it was nice to see the show runner, who had been absent from some of my recent appearances at this mic. i did stories about the bank, a furniture delivery, and attending two baseball games. 

furniture delivery

plans had to be changed a little, as i knew there would be a furniture delivery in the afternoon. in the morning i made it to the post office. as expected, hadn't ordered anything lately so no orders to pick up. i did pay for my box, the six-month fee, though. then i got pizza at a nearby convenience store. when i got home i watched a united football league game on TV, Dallas at DC. the game was nearly over when i was called that the delivery would be arriving soon. it was earlier than i was originally told, but i didn't mind. it was done fairly quickly, i signed for it, then i was on to the St. Paul Saints baseball game. i missed the first two innings but i like how i still got to see more than half of the game. i bought two small items inside the souvenir shop, a mascot magnet and some decals from their theme nights including Crooks Haven. the saints won big against the Iowa Cubs, 16-2, and fans got to see plenty of the long ball. during the game i heard a song but what i found when searching it at home likely wasn't the same one. the lyric i recalled was 'cry me a river'. the most hits when googling it was a Justin Timberlake song. i still liked what i heard, though. it resonated with me as i once said it to a match from internet dating. i made it to Aldi in the early evening and got groceries, then watched the baseball game on fox. it was dodgers-cardinals in st. louis, and the cardinals won a close one, 3-2. 

soup and oyster crackers

 i did my customary visit to Hy-Vee in Eagan and picked up another close-out item near the checkout lanes. it was a bag of soup and oyster crackers. why not try it when it was for just a dollar? i did see the employee i have chatted with before and spoke of families a little more. i have way fewer cousins. the team lead did a swap on workdays in the office due to furniture delivery the previous day. it meant i didn't have to go to that floor to pick up the reject fax, but i still went there to get some refund checks in a 'blue company envelope' moved. actually, there was two of them as the mailroom did deliver a second envelope, the first was left over from the previous day as vacation replacement didn't show up for it after i notified. i left the second one under a box of Avery address labels, i guess my colleague was at lunch at the time. the screen saver spoke of 'employee banking' but i said i was at a loss for what other services i could get from the bank when i already have my checking account and ATM card there. another check copy was found, per request by the boss, from the Cincinnati file. it was a sub-file that i last printed over a year ago. it was the tenth copy i had sent on, and it means just half of those Cincinnati files have ever had checks for me to print. when the tax specialist sent an instant message and said, 'out of office', and to hold any tax checks i get, i said 'copy that'. there were some in the afternoon.