too many overflow pages

 i was going through the PDF check file and nearly half of it was overflow pages, in the end this knocked it down to about a hundred. i let the manager that likes karaoke know about it as i was trying to find a check for her. i did but it took a little longer. this was from the first i-pay file, and there was one for this same manager in the second file as well. this meant i did two visits to that floor, but in both cases i didn't stay long. i had too much to do. there was another question about an overnighted check, this one was headed to st. louis. another case of just missing pick-up time for the day and i said it will likely be picked up soon enough. i drank the can of 'jack and coke' with the evening meal and now there are three beers waiting. 

lunch at five guys

 there was a department luncheon for the birthdays for the month, but two people were absent, so we had just six team members there. we went to five guys, a burger place. i was surprised as to how much i was getting when i was ordering a smaller burger, and with the fries as well. it still was a good-sized portion in both cases. odd how vacation replacement offered me some fries when i said i wanted to finish what i had ordered for myself. then what i hear in the afternoon is the same colleague who complained of being hungry. i figured we all would have had plenty to eat at lunch. when we were leaving the place i said it looked like feed sacks near the front door, there were bags of unpeeled potatoes. i recall my old man who once spoke of feed sacks while shopping for school clothes. in the morning i got the checks to the tax specialist, then i got a message right after that from my boss and said, 'how can i help?' found out it was a question on if i was attending the luncheon. i said i was planning on it and hadn't brought a lunch with me like i typically do. i still brought snacks though, animal crackers and a box of raisins. a colleague in Marshall sent me seven overnight labels for that file, then i was later told one of them was not needed. no big deal to me. in the evening i went to an Iowa alumni event at a place in st. louis park, called punch bowl social. food was furnished, i did order a can of beer, a Pabst. it was nice seeing some familiar people there. i know my alumni chapter doesn't do all that many events, but when there is one i do my best to attend. i picked up a few small souvenirs there, including a bumper sticker. 

after pick-up time

 we still have some issues with the business line from the Marshall office. i get overnighted checks into the box as early as i can, but sometimes it is after pick-up time for the day. there was a question as to if i was 'holding' checks but i had to say that all missed the cut-off time and would likely be picked up the next day. i am not a fan of this file when both times we see checks are in the afternoon, and neither is vacation replacement. it also doesn't help that we are cleaning up their messes more often than other files, such as being asked to pull checks when the payee name is not correct. you'd think they'd be able to catch some of those before a check is approved, but i guess not. 

surplus jersey

 i have a baseball jersey that i would like to give to someone but still trying to find out who. when i was at work i did notify the manager that likes karaoke, who would be more in the know than i am. i just have too many of them. not sure if that will lead to anything though. there was a request to intercept a check but not check number was given, which makes it harder to find. another night of skipping the variety mic i once frequented. the more often i do, the less i will think about it. i know i made the right choice after seeing it in transition. 

fan zone, two photos

 just before midday i went to mall of America as i had heard there was a 'fan zone' at the rotunda related to special Olympics. i knew it was a good idea to leave my volunteer shirt at home as i was off duty. it was a small event, didn't take long to cover the stations, but it was nice to get two photos sent to me by email. one of them was AI-generated, when i said my dream job was author. i created a poster as well, then got a picture of it and donated it to the cause and it was put on display. i wrote on it about what i did for my volunteer shift, unloading bags from buses at the university. when i was done it was time for lunch and went to a pizza place nearby. i go there as i know i will likely get airline miles. then it was to the 'Japan store', Ebisu, and i found another container of chewing gum with the Charlie Brown characters on it. this one was green, the other was yellow, and was a slightly different lineup although snoopy was on both. then it was time to get to the St. Paul Saints baseball game. i left some things at home, picked up a few such as the jersey i would be wearing. i made it before the national anthem. it was a slugfest that went into extra innings. the saints lost to Omaha, 15-12, in 11 innings. a non-pitcher was pitching for the home team in what became the final inning. i saw the dude i know from the ticket office, and i heard about a non-baseball event coming up at this venue. it was being promoted on the video board in center field. it sounds like plenty of daredevil stunts, but it is called a circus. i got a ticket for it, it is over a month from now. also saw the young lady i know from the alumni chapter and spoke of how there is an event in a few days. then i went to perform nearby. it was a thin lineup but i still liked having the stage time. one performer much have had stage fright, as he basically just said hi and bye and then left. 

culligan mascot

 i went to the car show at the state fairgrounds in the afternoon, and one thing i saw early upon arrival was a dressed-up mascot for Culligan water. it reminded me of their decades-old slogan, 'hey Culligan man!' i got a picture of this mascot, which looked like a woman, and had some of their water as well. most important thing early on was lunch. i found a basket of fries and chicken strips, then eventually a beer. wanted a Modelo, apparently the vendor had run out, so i got a Michelob. i enjoyed this event despite a friend of mine being absent, this would be the retired postal worker. i took two buses to get there, and shortly after starting the second leg of my journey i checked my phone and was told he didn't make it. something about his two classic cars not being registered. i was tired and my feet hurt, so i had to sit every so often. i was pleased that i managed to last more than three hours there and walked the lion's share of the fairgrounds. by early evening i headed home, taking two buses again. i saw plenty of cars that reminded me of movies i had seen. this included 'Christine', the 'Herbie' franchise, as well as 'rain man'. often not the same model years, but close. i got pictures of those. i saw a Porsche speedster, much like what mike fox drove in 'doc Hollywood' but didn't get a pic of it. my final car pic of the day was of an Edsel, which reminded me of the Billy Joel song 'we didn't start the fire'. i had seen some before but still surprised to see as many as i have when it was a famous failure. in the morning i got groceries at Aldi, then went and got another america-250 item at Barnes and Noble. not the one i was searching for, but it was a nice pack of items, including a poster, magazine, and postcards. at Walmart i found the word find i was looking for, that had been seen at Hy-Vee a month ago. i also bought some snack cakes with the same theme there. in the evening i tried watching the baseball game on TV, Mets-Phillies, but fell asleep. 

unloading bags from buses

 this was a day off for me due to the bank holiday, but i stayed active. it was the day of my shift with special Olympics. first i had to get registered onsite, at the U of M. hard to find the correct building at first, some were closed. then i went in one where a sign was up and was shown a map, it was a white tent in a parking lot behind the hockey arena. i said i know there that is and was on my way. i got my shirt and hat, then went to another venue. hard to find anyone 'in the know' at first, then i found another volunteer. we were sent to a 'superblock', where some residence halls were. i had been to the athletic venues north of the light rail tracks, this was the first time i am aware of where i have been south of the tracks on this campus. it wasn't too big of a deal, i was unloading bags from buses when the athletes arrived. there was plenty of down time between buses. i did use this window of opportunity to go get a sandwich at jimmy john's nearby as it was time to have lunch. i wasn't away for long, and not long after i returned there were some sandwiches brought to us. oops! but i didn't know when or even what they were going to bring us when signing up, months ago. i had a half sandwich and a cookie, and i was full. i lost count of how many state delegations we helped, at least a dozen. except Iowa, my native state, wasn't one of them. the capital city was, though, and California was split into northern and southern halves. i was used to being at work during this time of day so not a big deal to have a shift of about five hours. then i took the light rail back to my car in the early evening. i picked up a few items at a Walgreen in the morning. after my shift was done i was home for a short time and then went to get a sandwich at jersey mike's. after that it was groceries at Hy-Vee in Eagan. i did see the employee i sometimes chat with, as i was leaving, and alluded to what i was wearing as i still had the volunteer outfit on.