fringe after-party

there was one more performance with the fringe festival, this afternoon. I went to the library and printed some things, and did the dishes before heading to the venue. pleased how I got parking in the back, I said I was lucky as I got the last spot. this of course does make it easier to enter from the back as well. it was nice to see two people from the comedy circuit in the crowd, it was jane goodall, and blake. I spoke with them after the show but was prompted by a cast-member that I needed to claim my bag, which was still in the dressing room. as I was coming up the stairs, after taking a few more photos, the techie said 'you've got to go'. I had a feeling that she didn't like me, but was told she probably was a grouch from having to work every show at the venue. we got a group photo in the bar area after the show, and it was nice to chat with some patrons outside as well. one spoke of going to the university of iowa like I did. I did pick up some more souvenirs, now it means finding the time to go through them and get them into a sheet protector and of course in a binder. I went across the street to get an ice cream sandwich at the super-America. when I finally left Bryant-lake bowl I went to the bobby and steve's and got a godfather's pizza as it was 6pm. I wanted to eat before the show I was attending at 7pm, 'when she became me- a pro choice play about abortion'. it was over at the university, at rarig. it was the 10th show I attended. I reviewed it well, saying I like documentaries and biographies and consider it to be a documentary. I like hearing the stories of real people. the after-party was at triple rock social club, I arrived shortly after it began at 9pm and stayed for 2 hours. I liked seeing three by three there, I said I did see one of his shows. I spoke with four others I didn't know, one was a fringe volunteer. another was part of a 'game of thrones' show. a third recognized me from performing at the comedy marathon, I said I would like to be on his podcast. the fourth was at the end of the bar when I was getting a picture of the stag beer sign on the wall, I had two cans of stag beer at this event. didn't ask what his fringe connection  was. I said I liked having a role this year, and hopefully I get another role next year. according to the show runner, our pay will likely be available later this month. sounds like I am not alone on going out of town before long since fringe festival is over, as the show runner, resistable comic, has travel plans as well.  

stuart smalley

tonight at the st. paul saints baseball game I played stuart smalley as part of the Saturday night live theme. this character was originally played by al franken, and some fans made franken comments, some more flattering than others. I loved doing this gig, the VIP treatment as we got in free and got food vouchers. the event coordinator may not have said 'it will be like shooting fish in a barrel' but he might as well have. it was rather simple, as many fans recognized our characters and asked for pictures. I had done Zombie night last season, and was in only one 'selfie'. I was on way more smartphones tonight. I was even offered some of their food, like a few peanuts or part of an ice cream sandwich. this is why I enjoy performing, also due to seeing the 'underbelly' of the stadium and seeing more things behind the scenes. I said I would like to do this kind of thing more often. what made it possible, of course, was how I didn't have a performance scheduled for the fringe show I am in. we have one more, on sunday. near the end of the game I found gert the flirt, and it was nice to talk about performing with her. notable was how I drank plenty of water throughout, three bottles. but it was a warm night, and my costume probably made it warmer. one performer said she had been hit on and I said I wasn't, but later on in the game I was. whoever that hit on me was probably drunk, but I will take it. as usual, I did my best to pick up souvenirs from this event as I like documenting my comedy career. notable was a 'draw-along scorecard', provided by the team's community art program. I liked seeing what looked like a man in an Oktoberfest outfit on it.
   the day started as an ambivalent one for me. I went to my post office box and the one item waiting for me was from Canadian days. it was a letter saying I had won a Disney tote bag. now I will have to figure out when I can pick it up. it said I had to pick it up during 'business hours' and my next weekday off is more than a week away. after this I got ready for a date, but I waited at a coffee shop ofr 30 minutes and my date didn't show up so I went home. I posted on facebook about how I have been on e-harmony nearly as long as I have done stand-up, almost 8 years, and all I have received from it was jokes, and I was looking for more. this was re-posted by a fellow comic and his posting got more likes than my original one. I also was asked on facebook by bathtub if I had a certain snoopy figurine, I said I did not. but I know I am known as the resident Charlie brown fan, and I liked how he was thinking of me. I even found a coin from the Netherlands when I was at the grocery store, so it was a mostly good day for me. the coin was put in a mylar cover and then in an album, and I have a good collection going. in the morning I had a breakfast sandwich at a McDonald's that just re-opened, it was nice to see what they do with orders now where they bring them out to you. but the ketchup dispenser wasn't working, so I didn't put any on my hash brown. no big deal to me.

russell clayton

I saw on facebook this week how my 8th grade history teacher, mr. Russell clayton, had died. it meant something to me as this was a strong influence in the area of history, and why I eventually made it my college major. I shared my story on the facebook posting, as well as a condolence with the funeral home, pence-reese in newton, iowa. well tonight I said I was going to make mention of mr. clayton in my comedy set during the fringe festival. I did so near the end, and spoke of seeing dueling pistols (replicas) in his class.
   this was the fourth performance in the fringe show, and I think it went better than the third. it felt like I got more laughs anyway. this was the main change to my comedy set. I picked up a few more souvenirs as well. one of them was inspired by what happened backstage during the show. I kicked a cup down the stairs, found it after the show, was informed it wasn't ours. it was a coffee cup, and there was some left so it spilled out at the bottom of the stairs. I got some paper towels to wipe it up, and kept the cardboard that encircled the cup. I also kept the beer coaster from having a drink after the show, I had a Schlitz beer. I had to park on the street, next to the super-America across the street from the venue. the techie scolded me for using the front entrance, but I parked out front as there was no parking in the back. I also picked up a postcard about software coding jobs that was in the bathroom, an odd place to leave them.
   this evening I went to eat at taco bell after falling asleep in my easy chair after starting to watch the baseball game on fox. it was the Yankees playing the rays, hadn't seen many games on TV this season. there was a ceremony at the start honoring alex rodriguez, who is being released by the team. there was some rumors that he still may want to sign with another team, as he is near the 700 home run mark. after the show I checked the score online and it said the Yankees won 6-3. after taco bell I went to a mcdonald's that had just re-opened this week, and got an ice cream cone. looks like they don't have redbox though.
  at work it was nice to get caught up on letters, but I had some help which made a difference. I got an ice cream sandwich from the Filipino man as he brought around the treat cart, a fundraiser for the backpack drive. looks like that will be wrapping up soon.

endless bummer, weezer

I went to the comedy club tonight as jane goodall was doing the contest. at the end of the show I heard a song and tried to write down key lyrics. I think it is 'endless bummer' by weezer, after an online search, based on the 'trying not to stare at her chest' lyric. it was hard to hear in the club, even with covering one ear. I understand the sentiment, where he wants the summer to end. in many ways it has the same spirit, and message, as 'cruel summer' by bananarama. it is from their 'white' album apparently, the band is known for self-titled albums named after the color. I have the blue, and green, albums. jane did not win tonight, but she will be added to the 'ring of honor'. tetris was feature, and wee bit was MC. I liked hearing tetris doing the mount Everest bit. wee bit did do his 'signature' joke from working construction. I wanted to be wearing my lanyard in the 'ring of honor' photo to remind me it was during the fringe festival, but on a night when I had no performance. we will be on again late Friday though.
   I watched a syndicated rerun of 'big bang theory' tonight, before heading for the club. it was the one where amy Farrah fowler was made the 'maid of honor' for Bernadette's wedding, and amy at one point was playing a sad song on her harp, 'everybody hurts' by REM.
   I panicked a little about not bringing two bills with me this morning to do the 'pay by phone' thing, as both were due today. but one of them was a credit card, no problem finding the 800 number. the other was my cell phone bill, and an online search found that number as well. so I liked how there was some simple solutions available.
   I may have a date this weekend, I had to check what the cross streets are for a coffee shop we plan on meeting at. and at the office, I didn't like how an advisory board meeting ran long.

driving my life away, eddie rabbitt

I was driving home tonight and heard a song I had heard many times before, called 'driving my life away' by eddie rabbitt. after all of the rain, actually it was still raining some, it seemed appropriate. thee is a line about the 'windshield wipers slapping out a tempo' although another song of his is more about rain, 'I love a rainy night'.
   this evening after work I wasn't home for all that long, as I wanted to get to a fringe show, it was 'becoming inga' at the u. of Minnesota. I had seen it before, outside of fringe, at Bryant lake bowl, and was thankful to see it again. it was funny and honest, and many can relate to leading a 'double life'. also relatable in terms of we don't always choose the pivotal moments in life, where fate intervenes to change us and make us more complete. it was the 9th show I had seen at the festival. I was afraid of needing to get up and having to use the bathroom during the show, as I arrived just minutes before it began, but I managed to last through the show and then some. I got some photos of the venue, and it was minutes after it ended when I was finally in dire need of a bathroom break. I waited a while outside the venue for the rain to let up, but eventually I walked the two blocks back to where my car was in a parking ramp. I just didn't want to get soaked as I had no umbrella with me. I went across town to perform at another venue but it was called off due to the storms. I stayed to have a beer and watch some of the coverage of the Olympic games.
   at the office it was the first time in a while that we had done the afternoon walk, something I really like to do. I spoke of getting  a hotel room reserved for new York, and how I want to figure out soon what day to go to the state fair.

yellow sauce

I went to perform at an open-mic and many references were made to 'yellow sauce'- or mustard. I liked getting to one of my regular places for performing during the fringe festival. I started off with saying why I wasn't there last week- and it led to a reference to my dad referring to bob dylan and willie nelson as 'old hippies'. then it was on to callbacks. one was about the song 'greensleeves' and another was about beyonce. I did make a reference to my first time attending a fringe show, in 2012, and how internet dating hasn't panned out. finally a story about looking for a hotel in new York, and bus fare comic tried to play his 'what is that?' game and I called his bluff.
   I took a half day off from my office job to get to the fringe performance on time, as it was at 5:30pm. I had pizza in the skyway, and after taking the bus home I slept for a little while. then I got up and did some errand running like return a CD to cheapo since I already had it. I got a pearl jam CD in exchange, 'binaural'. and I sold another one for a quarter, but I had two and the store wouldn't buy the other one, saying it is because it is a single. I voted in the primary election, not much on the ballot. then I got some photos of a rebuilt fast food place that will be re-opening soon. I did some mapquest directions for my drive over to the venue, staying off the interstate highways since it was rush hour.
   as expected, I changed my set a little for the third performance. there was a decent crowd but we weren't getting the laughs. I did pick up some more souvenirs, even if one of them was a bottle cap in the 'green room'. I already have similar items in my comedy binder, documenting my career. I am trying to pick up as many souvenirs as I can from this fringe gig. after the performance I went to get some dinner at the nearby super-America and then it was on to the huge theater, also close by, for a burlesque show.

wait in the alley

when I arrived at Bryant lake bowl tonight for the second performance of the fringe show I am in I was told to wait in the alley as the previous show wasn't out yet. I had a hard time with hearing this, but I complied as I had no choice. the show runner feels this one went better than the first, and I concur. I did change my set a little, but it was mainly adding things instead of replacing. I did make a reference to Charles Lindbergh, and sam the eagle (from the muppets) in this one. after we took a bow the show runner encouraged people to write reviews. I may have stepped on jokes a little, but I knew to avoid the problem from the first performance- where my voice was slipping. so I got water from a big jug outside the venue and near the bowling area.
   I also liked how I had enough time to get to another show this evening, it was the Dillinger play at the university. this is the 7th show I have attended, due to the artist pass I have. as a history major I liked finding this play, even if I wasn't familiar with the story they were covering when he was in the twin cities in 1934 on good Friday. after the show I saw a Pizza luce box on the steps outside the building, some pizza was still inside but I didn't eat it. I found a trash bin for it.
   I saw the attorney while riding home this evening, she said she often takes her work home. sounded like a compromise in terms of not wanting to, as she said, 'give up her kids for adoption' or 'give up her marriage'. I haven't had to make these choices yet, but I already said my hat was off to her.