Memoirs Of A Welfare Queen

     I went to see the play 'Memoirs of a Welfare Queen' tonight in Minneapolis at Bryant Lake Bowl theater. First time at this venue. I had wanted to see the play for a while, as it was a part of Fringe Festival in August, but was out of town then. Originally I said when I planned to attend how I knew the lead actress indirectly through doing comedy, and this is true. But this is a one-woman show. I did share my thoughts on Facebook after getting back from the show, where I got the invite. It is a play about how she had to go onto welfare after 'Baby daddy' dumped her. She finds a way to get off welfare, and she gives credit to friends and family for helping out. I said she hit many of the right chords, as I could relate to things like an upbringing of fear and shame, along with judgey church people. I could tell at times how the material was difficult for her since it was personal, as she paused a few times. But I said I understood just fine as I often pick some painful subjects when I tell jokes, being a fellow performer, subjects like dating relationships and family. She is real good at her craft, and I said I would consider any further Facebook invites for upcoming shows as I may do comedy but I like theater as well. It proves why I like biographies- it was honest and passionate. 
      Since I wanted to be on time for the play, I wasn't home for long tonight after work. I went there before I had even checked any emails, knowing I likely had been inundated with birthday wishes on Facebook. Believe me, I sure was. There were 86 messages waiting when I logged in, and this is twice the typical volume. The venue is close to a Popeye's chicken that I've eaten at before, so I ate at Popeye's tonight. Usually I am in the area to see a movie at the Lagoon.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee

    I had a first date in the evening. We met at a café in Minneapolis near the university, and I am in the area every so often. The neighborhood is known as Dinkytown. I had a pumpkin spice coffee, and so did my date. It went well, we spoke for nearly two hours, until I needed to move my car as I only paid for that long at a meter. We knew some of the same comics. I called a college roommate after I got back and said it went well as I really wanted to share the news with someone. We didn't speak for long, he said he had to take care of kids who got out of bed. So I didn't mind having to skip watching 'Big Bang Theory' tonight as I had a real good time.
   It was still busy at work today, I did nearly 20 letters and I am nearly caught up again. I left two as they were partial account numbers, hard to find. Do the easiest ones first, like they say on exams.
   I saw on Facebook how a fellow comic was on Conan O'Brien, and I found the video clip. It was the Oklahoma native, he did his 'Corn and green beans' joke. It was actually a day earlier, but I am not on this site every day.    

Sport Clips Sweepstakes

      I needed a haircut tonight since I have a date soon. I made it to the Sport Clips in Eagan on Promenade and got an entry for their 'MVP moment maker' sweepstakes. I entered the code from the scratch ticket, not an instant winner. But I still entered their drawing. I watched some of the state high school hockey tournament while there as it was on one of the nearby TV monitors.
     It was my first day back at work after two days off. It bothered me that some of my work wasn't done in my absence, the letters. I did 17 of them, a colleague did 7. There are 6 remaining. Another notable thing was finally finding the other dryer sheet from doing laundry. Much like before, it was stuck in one of my shirts, the one I was wearing today.
    At the comedy club tonight, the 'Extra murder' comic did jokes about the saddest petting zoo, and having a Nike jump rope. The Tetris comic did one about home appliances having Internet. The dental assistant booed the school bouncer comic, had to ask why. I wondered if it was just a 'Manufactured rivalry'. The Kentucky native did some stage time near the end, first time I had seen him in a while. He said he had been at plenty of corporate gigs, not too many open-mics. He had a joke about being in a strict family in terms of religion, and hearing rap music like Eminem for the first time in college in Louisville. There was more comfortable seating added, bench seats, in the back.

Generic Pepto-Bismol

     It was a rough day for me. It started off with diarrhea, and in spite of this I still wanted to go to the Capitol and meet who represents me as the legislature is in session at this time. It became academic about two hours later when I threw up after trying to eat something, and I decided not to go. I went to a CVS pharmacy and got a generic version of Pepto-Bismol, or actually the store brand of it. I threw up again when I got home with the medicine, then I slept for a while and felt better. I didn't feel like eating anything for a while, and didn't until I had some peanut butter crackers on the way to the comedy club. I figured this and drinking Sprite- couldn't find 7up- would be best for my upset stomach. I had to say no beer tonight when I arrived. A few people did say hi to me, but I felt like I had to tell them I was still ill. I'm still not great but better than I was. I said it would take more than an upset stomach to keep me away from the comedy club.
    The D.C. native was the show closer, and I said to myself 'B.S.' like my dad would say when he told people the storyline to the Oscar-winning movie 'Dallas Buyers Club'. He did make it funny when he made it a Wesley Snipes joke, about trying to raise money to get Wesley out of jail, who was in jail for tax evasion. Naturally his joke about nausea resonated with me tonight, when he was asked in detox what his nausea felt like on a scale of 1 to 7. He said it's a binary thing, either you feel it or you don't. The school bouncer comic did jokes about Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and the O.J. Simpson case. The Wisconsin couple, now based in L.A., were at my table. The wife did one about being 'Pregnant with rage', sounded like what her therapist said. The husband did one about online comments, and it sounded like self-promotion of his CD.

Gameworks In Schaumburg

      I liked how there wasn't much on my schedule today, the most important thing was to be on the flight in the afternoon. I wanted to use the tickets I had from Gameworks in Schaumburg, likely from when I lived in the area. There were seven and I decided to play some skeeball, ended up with eight more. I got a little Frisbee with the 15 tickets. It looks like somebody could turn it over and use it as a drink coaster. Before this I had a postcard I wrote to myself mailed from the Des Plaines post office. I got lunch at a Speedway convenience store. Then it was on to get the rental car returned and back to the airport. The flight was delayed 30 minutes.
   I made it to the comedy club, even though I hadn't been home for long. I went through postal mail and email for an hour, then I left. The 'IED/IUD' comic did bring out this joke, after trying to do ones about being on jury duty. The 'Extra murder' comic did the one about the North Dakota billboard- arrive a guest, leave a legend. He said he had just done some shows there this weekend. The 'Bathtub comic' did one about a frozen bag of poop at his home, his wife was responsible for it. One comic, the Maryland native, asked me if I was all right. I said I was tired and that was all. I was woke up by the fire alarm at my hotel this morning. I opened my door, and a few others on my floor did as well. I saw no one leaving so I decided to go back to bed. When I checked out the desk clerk apologized, saying somebody had burned their continental breakfast.

World's Fair Exhibit, Field Museum

       I went to the World's Fair exhibit at the Field Museum today. As usual, I learned something when I visit a museum. It was how the museum was at the World's Fair site, south of there, but moved and now the Science and Industry Museum is now there, the former Fine Arts Building.
I bought a book of postcards, and got a few pictures.
     I also made it to the Chicago Wolves hockey game in the afternoon, they beat the Iowa Wild 4-0. No goals in the 3rd. Wolves scored at start and end of 1st, start and middle of 2nd. No real souvenirs bought this time. I picked up a pocket schedule, got a starting lineup, and a free player photo as it was Little Debbie Sunday. So it had a coupon attached. I liked having Connie's Pizza at the game and some popcorn, but it was a big box so I ate just half of it and took the rest with me. And I got a souvenir drinking cup, honoring 20 seasons.
   When I was driving back from the Rosemont CTA stop in the evening, I had to wait for a train at Mt. Prospect Road. This was familiar from living in the area. I watched some of the movie '8-Mile' on TV. And of course there was music everywhere to remember this time. I wrote down 7 songs in particular. Friends With The Monster, Eminem and Rihanna. Summertime Sadness, Lana Del Rey. Applause, Lady Gaga. Party in the USA- Hanna Montana/Miley Cyrus. This Love, Maroon 5. Team, Lorde. I'm Yours, Jason Mraz. Lorde is being played a lot right now. Some of these I heard at the Wolves game, like Applause. Others were on the car radio. But I like some there reminding me of certain events in my life, This Love always reminds me of the transition, a rebirth of sorts which eventually happened in the Twin Cities. I'm Yours, reminding me of starting comedy. Thankfully most music helps recall positive memories. It's nice how some help with living there, since they are far enough back. And I do want to remember the positive when I visit my old haunts annually. Because they should not, and do not, haunt me.
    I like how this hotel has a continental breakfast, I had Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes this morning. Not every hotel I stay at has one. The internet service leaves a lot to be desired, but I found a FedEx Office in Park Ridge for a few minutes to take care of online needs. 

Improv Comedy Club, Schaumburg

        I flew into Chicago O'Hare Airport in the early afternoon for a weekend visit. After getting my rental car and checking into the Howard Johnson in Elk Grove Village I had a massage therapy appointment at Heavenly Massage in Mt. Prospect near the mall. It is good for my back. In the evening I went to see a comedy show at the Improv in Schaumburg. It is inside Woodfield Mall. I once worked near this mall. It was nice to see it again. At first I planned on seeing just one show, but the headliner did crowd rap with me, despite me being all the way in the back next to the bar. I was invited back for the second show, and got in free. I was in somebody's 'selfie' and found out me and the feature comic knew some of the same people. It snowed a lot so I brushed off the car and then

was on my way. I also made it to the first McDonald's in Des Plaines and had a shamrock shake. I like looking at the artifacts there. I found some postcards at the Gift Depot, will send one to myself.

I watched a little of some movies on cable, In the Line of Fire was on WGN and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was on another network, for Oscars weekend.