Canadian Days

I enjoy going to Canadian Days, a festival in Little Canada. I lived in that village for one year and recall first reading about it in the village newsletter, sent through the mail. It was a good reminder of what festivals are known for, the buttons as well as the food, drink, and music. This was the opening night, and it runs through the weekend. Tonight the festival button meant getting a free ear of corn. Actually two, as we were invited to a second after 7pm. There will be a second corn on the cob feed on Saturday evening, and a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning. Also decided to get a slice of pepperoni pizza, they gave me two- a free slice of cheese pizza. Finally there was a strawberry shake, which was a trailer that looked familiar from before. There was a rock as a paperweight since it was windy inside the trailer, and it was for the money when you pay. Wanted to stay longer and listen more to the cover band playing songs like 'So Easy' by Buddy Holly, but needed to get home and rest a little, along with more cleanup around my home.
   Still amazed at what I'm finding, like in the refrigerator there was a half-stick of butter in a dish. Threw it out since I don't use it much anymore, eating out often or preparing food that doesn't need it. Dusty in some areas as well, as I don't clean as often as I should. There will be more of the same on Saturday, so I should be retiring for the night soon. Sent a bag of trash out to the dumpster as well, though it was my normal one for the week, usually sent on Saturday or Sunday. Another one is almost ready.
   A notable thing at work was meeting with my boss for my performance evaluation, and we ended up talking about more than just work. She's still interested in fixing me up with coworkers, I don't want to date coworkers. She's often entertained by my obervations about life, so somehow I need to work it in to my comedy routine. Like when I tell her about some of my online dating exploits.

College Roommate

     I found out there was a call waiting for me when checking my cellphone last night. It was from my college roommate, who was on a gig in Modesto, California. I called him tonight after my date, and the date was shortly after work ended for the day.
   He said he did get the job in New Jersey and will be moving there in January. I said it may lead me to visiting him again at some point, since it is near New York. I wanted to see a few more places while there in 2005 but ran out of time. Since then I have become interested in a few more places in the area, like Sagamore Hill, the home of President Theodore Roosevelt. This is for two reasons- since he was a friend of Emerson Hough and of course doing the Roosevelt mentoring program through my employer. The school's yearbook is called 'Sagamore'. I wondered why, then figured it was related to the president and was right. Still think it was a good choice to have Robin Williams play Teddy in 'Night at The Museum'-and the sequel.
   I  did tell him about tonight's date. I don't expect much when I get a 'nice meeting you' and a handshake at the end of the date. I was being wary since her response to my question about what she hopes to have in common with me, in terms of shared interests. She said 'having children', a good way to scare off guys. Same is true with her changing her profile picture, as at first it was just her then she changes it to her with her cat! We spoke for a while, but it doesn't feel like a good fit. That's fine, as I'm still looking and there are other matches out there. I've got enough going on in my life, like my writing and comedy, that I stay busy most of the time. So I only want a mate that is a good fit, as one tends to make poor decisions when desperate. I tend to regret decisions I make when desperate. I am a complete person, more so than I was anyway, so I am not looking for a companion to complete me. It would be wrong to put my happiness in the hands of another person. I've found that my life is easier to live when I live it for me and no one else.

Boycott

It's nice to have some nights off from going out, and very necessary at times. I was a little behind on record keeping so it meant pulling out the ATM receipts from my wallet and getting them entered in my check register. Sometimes the search leads to more than expected, as there was I found $2 between the receipts. The other notable money-related thing was getting 15 pennies in my change bank, a gallon can of beer that my college roommate gave me. I value anything given to me by friends. It also meant shredding some junk mail and getting laundry from the easy chair into the basket under the table I am writing on. I was amazed at how much mail I get from political candidates, some of them have sent me mail more than once. I will try to read through them before the primary election, on August 10.
    Another thing I did was retire another shirt, it was a BP shirt I had received at a festival a few years back. It was advertising BP with invigorate, and how it would help your car run younger, longer. Ironic since the oil spill in the Gulf has killed and damaged many animals. This is why I decided to cut it up as I am boycotting BP and I don't wish to wear their shirt. I discovered by accident how I had it, as it was my undershirt, under my office-appropriate shirt. I have plenty of T-shirts so I'm not going to miss one of them. I even left a comment on the 'Boycott BP' Facebook page about it.
   About the only thing I didn't do was check my cellphone for any messages, but I can still do this before turning in tonight.
    I'm still seeing articles about Emerson Hough School on Facebook, and it is still an annoying issue for me. One article was about the alternate uses of the school, and how a low price was charged to rent out the school's library. I said it was the proverbial 'cutting off the nose to spite the face'. One of the few good things was it led me to start this blog and get books that Hough wrote. As I write I see the 6 Hough books I have on the coffee table. I think about Hough's influences way more now, like when I was in St. Louis there was an ad at the airport about protecting frogs at Yellowstone Park. I took a picture of it, though the picture wasn't as good as I would have liked. But it reminded me how Hough helped get a law passed to protect buffalo and other wildlife at Yellowstone. Whenever there's an Oregon Trail (video game) joke at the comedy club I also think of Hough, as he wrote 'Covered Wagon'. There still isn't much mention of Hough (the man) as we discuss the fate of the school. I was one of the few who has spoken about the man. Naturally another time when I think of Hough is when there is mention of his friend, Theodore Roosevelt. I'm sure I can get a T.R. bobblehead on Ebay, though since the Emerson Hough ordeal was discovered by me in April I have mostly been interested in acquiring Hough items. Besides 4 of the 6 books, it also meant school-related items like the towel with a husky on it. I may have been a late arrival on helping with the cause, but it is something I believe in. I am proud to be part of trying to help preserve Emerson Hough's legacy, as he himself was interested in conservation and historic preservation.

Milestones

I noticed after pulling into my home tonight after being at the comedy club how my car reached a milestone. It just passed 130,000 miles. I've had it for just over 7 years, longer than any of the previous 3 cars I've owned. I think I learned some lessons from before, like see that the oil is changed regularly. Didn't do this with one previous car, though I still had it for 6 1/2 years. Hopefully I can keep driving it even longer. Sometimes I literally run cars until they are junk.
   I sent an email to a classmate letting him know how I have ordered a ticket for an alumni tailgating event. I hate having to think about college football so early, when it's only July. But this should give me a good chance to get a game ticket for the same day- without buying from Stubhub. I've done it before, but it's more expensive so I try to use it only as a last resort.
   It was an easier day at work, got caught up as there were fewer special requests, many of them making copies of contracts. Somehow I am doing fine without my 'work spouse', who is out of the office this week. I got the 'big yellow fish' today, called 'Pete the Perch'. Though I think it looks more like 'Charlie' from the StarKist tuna commercials. Will have to remember to get a picture of it before I must pass it on. It's part of the Fish training where we recognize accomplishments of our colleagues more. I'm sure there have been some jokes around the office already, why not when it's a big yellow plush fish? Nothing wrong with having some fun with it.

Leftover Food

I am still amazed at how much food is left over at company-sponsored food events. We had jerk chicken and rice left over from a Friday event, I had some then and some more today. Wonder if there will be a third session, as there is enough to go around. Also notable while in the breakroom was a colleague I enjoy talking to speaking about lasers at Mount Rushmore. I don't get too many chances to discuss intellectual topics at work, but I can with him. He is a theater man and does background music at local plays. I've even seen two of these plays.
   I've been getting more hits with the online dating, I know this may be due to a free communication period happening but I will take it how I get it. Will have to see how many I will actually meet, based on my track record it won't be too many. I liked how one match did challenge me, with one of her questions. She asked me to tell her 5 random things about me, and I was up to the challenge. After thinking about it I answered, making sure I wasn't duplicating what was already in my profile. I shared things like losing 20 pounds in the past year. 2 were related to school-doing comedy now despite speech being a weak subject in school, and being equipment manager on my school's football team taught me plenty about teamwork. 2 more were about living in 3 different states, and owning 4 different cars. A good friend of mine from work- now in Chicago- said she liked what I said about it. I wasn't about to quit when the going got tough, as I already know how nothing worth having is ever easy. She said it was her motto. I admired this friend's warm personality, as it made me more positive. Attitude may make the difference, but it's also the company you keep.

Lumberjack Days

I once again made the most of the day, started early on more of the cleanup I wanted to do. It meant sending more items to the storage locker. Around 12noon- 1pm I knew I needed to quit for the day in order to attend a festival- Lumberjack Days in Stillwater. Still wearing the button from it, and this evening I even mentioned it while onstage at a comedy club for open-mic night. I enjoy attending festivals a lot, though I didn't enjoy the traffic. I decided to avoid the bumper to bumper crawl and turned around, eventually going into Wisconsin and then entering the town on the lift bridge as I hate the sound of my car's engine idling. Once I got there I decided to tour a museum first, the warden home, as there is a prison in the area. It was  one where members of the James/Younger gang were sent after convictions for their role in the Northfield bank robbery. After this I went into the food and drink section, closer to the river. Sometimes it's nice to go on the final day, as there are more food specials. I got 2 pork chops for $5, and I like them enough I like having them at the state fair as well. Also got a smoothie at another stand.
   I am pleased to see a comment was posted on a previous entry, from a few days ago. It was when I was ranting about the history of law schools, and mentioned Clarence Darrow. The reader informed me how Darrow attended Michigan Law School but did not graduate. This is something that received little mention in the writings about Darrow that I have read, as most center in on his law career and not his education. I liked how I did learn something from it, so thank you, Joe Luttrell. Hopefully you read this post as well, as it was more than fair to point out an inaccuracy. I read further in the Darrow article on Wikipedia that said he did not graduate from his undergrad school, Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, either. I was unfamiliar with where he attended for undergrad school. With his early life most speak of him being from Kinsman, Ohio, and little more.
   I do recall when I first started reading extensively about Darrow, it was after I had made my first visit to Washington, DC and saw an artifact from the Scopes Monkey Trial on display at the Smithsonian. It was called 'About That Monkey Business in Tennessee'. I was excited with what I found there, and told my dad about it when I got back. He was unfamiliar with this trial, but when he heard mention of the lawyer's name he brought out a true crime book, which profiled the Leopold/Loeb case from a year earlier, 1924. He called it 'the thrill kill' as this was the motive given for the crime, they had hoped to commit the 'perfect crime'. Meaning they didn't expect to be caught.
   I liked how it spurred me to read even more, and I found the case of Dr. Ossian Sweet in Detroit. It was about a physician and some of his family  who was on trial for shooting some rioters who didn't want a black doctor in a white neighborhood. While not as well-known as the other two, it came as no surprise how Darrow took this case as he fought for the underdog. Being a defense lawyer for much of his career earned  him the nickname 'attorney for the damned'.
   Darrow died in 1938, but he was the type of lawyer that would have had the courage to lock horns with Senator Joe McCarthy had he lived that long. I saw a DVD called 'Point Of Order' about the Army-McCarthy hearings where the era known as 'McCarthyism'- the blacklisting and Red Scare of the 1950s- was beginning to end. I think Darrow would have been pleased with Joseph Welch, the Army attorney, asking McCarthy if he had any decency left. Since somebody was standing up to a bully.

Baseball Historian

My day started early, as I wanted to do a big cleanup at my home. This means moving things around, or even moving them to a storage locker so I have the space to go through what I have and decide what I want to keep. Amazed at all I have, and as the saying goes you can probably do without it if you haven't used it in a while. I haven't seen the show about hoarders but I know it's not THAT bad. But it's still in need of improvement here. Much of what was found would be called media- books, magazines, newspapers.
   I still got around to other errand running, such as the doing of dishes, recycle, and trash. It was necessary as it wasn't done last weekend since I was out of town, only the trash was done. But most of what is in the sink was recycle- cans and bottles.
   I enjoyed the event I went to tonight, it was a talk given by a baseball historian about the ballparks in the Twin Cities. It was in Minneapolis at the Hennepin Stages, I recognized it as where I saw 'Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol' on New Year's Day. I said they were playing my song, as I like both baseball and history, and both were available to me tonight.
   One thing I like about the cleanup was clearing the table where I eat and write. Earlier, I had wires going across my lap and it was too confining. Not so now! They are on my left as I can type more straight on with a clear table. Another benefit is how it's easier to vacuum the carpet when there are fewer items on the carpet. I expect to do more of the same on Sunday, as I like what I've already done and it motivates me when I see what is possible.

Comedy Documentary

I like going to the movies, and it's why I saw the documentary about Joan Rivers, the comedienne, tonight. There were two observations in it that resonated with me. One was how comedians are insecure, as it takes an insecure person to go onstage alone and hope for laughs. The other was how artists are damaged, it helps feed their art. It seems to explain me better, how I felt more comfortable when writing. Then I found doing comedy deserved to be grouped in the same category. Also notable was the huge card catalog of jokes, and a Lincoln book in the background during one interview.
    It sounds like there may be another fundraiser for Emerson Hough School, hopefully people aren't weary of it by now. Apparently another one is needed to cover legal fees, since the school board has petitioned for summary judgment in hopes of the case being dismissed before  the hearing in August. I have already contributed about $100 when figuring in what I sent before the fundraiser, and the fundraiser itself in May as I bought a few items at the silent auction. Then there's the shirt from the July 4th parade. Even though it looks like school supporters will have to fight tooth and nail, it is a worthy cause to fight for. It's annoying to have to fight for it at all, as the school is named for one of us.
    I hear some thunder off in the distance, and I have a busy day planned for Saturday. So I should be retiring soon for the night.

German Night Theme

   I enjoyed tonight's Saints game, as it was their annual German Night. Also nice how the Saints won, helped by a 3-run home run in the 7th. It put them ahead 5-3 and they went on to win 6-4. Enjoyed seeing things like a VW as part of 'what's in the bag' between-innings entertainment. I had a German great-grandma, and I like how there are ways to celebrate this heritage. Unfortunately, thanks to 2 world wars where Germany was the enemy there aren't as many as there should be. I say this night has to do until Oktoberfest in New Ulm in a few months. It was something I discovered in my first year in this state. There was a good feature about New Ulm on a travel show after the 10pm news one Saturday.
   Some of the things I did tonight aren't unique to German Night, like sauerkraut on the bratwurst, along with a beer, I like Grain Belt. But some were-after the game I went to a grocery store and found a piece of German chocolate cake.
   I like how I finally discovered this part of me, it took long enough. It helped to have my dad tell me what he could. I even found my great-grandma's Ellis Island records when I visited New York in 2005. She came here as a little girl back in 1902. I thought my dad was odd when he liked eating sauerkraut, until I tried it myself. It doesn't taste great alone, but on top of something it's really good, like hot dogs or bratwurst.
   Ah, New Ulm beckons me. I've had my dad tell me he likes visiting St. Joseph, MO, so sometimes I say New Ulm is my St. Joseph. The food, drink, and music is all good at Oktoberfest. The warm feeling I get in that town is rivaled by few things. My time in the French Quarter in New Orleans is likely the only place that tops it. The Big Easy is still my favorite place to visit and so enjoyable I've called it a 'benchmark' in my life.
    Online dating may be panning out, but too early to tell. A few more matches have reached email stage or will soon. Answering questions from one match was tough at first, but I was up to the challenge. She asked me to mention 5 random things about myself. This is what I told her: weight loss in the past year, done some standup comedy despite speech being a weak subject, equipment manager on my school's football team, lived in 3 different states, owned 4 cars in my lifetime. As the saying goes, nothing worth having is ever easy. I'm not going to quit just when the going gets a little tough. I recall a college instructor revealing at the end of the class why he assigned some reading and writing projects early on, in the first week. It was to weed out people, find out who was most serious about being there. And it worked. I found a way to stay, but others didn't. Whatever happens, I will be just fine. I do like how dating has allowed me to grow as a person, and this happens only when willing to take chances at times and allow yourself to be a little vulnerable.

Law Schools

I reallly needed to do some cleanup tonight around my home. Best reminder of it was mail I hadn't read through for a few days. At the end of the night it led to 2 items ready to be mailed. One was an opt-in for a bank account, another a donation for a non-profit. Finally decided to get my debit card activated, since my existing one is expiring at the end of the month. It also meant doing plenty of shredding of junk mail, or of extra envelopes after combining old bills from the same place. I wasn't sure where one phone bill was, so I kept looking and found it under some other documents on the table and not in my old bills box. It made sense why after finding it, as there were directions to a comedy club written on the envelope. It's nice being able to find things, and of course put away things like clothes in the basket that were left on my bed or in my easy chair. Yes, readers, I am a bachelor, this is how I can get away with that! But I'm not your typical bachelor, as I do see my home is fairly well-kept. It means doing dishes, recycle, and laundry regularly, and trash does get disposed of in the proper place right away.
   At the end of my workday I spoke with a friend about somebody I had met this week, who claimed to be an ex-lawyer and I corrected him right away, saying there were law schools in America before 1930. I get annoyed with those who can't get their facts straight. I knew full well how Clarence Darrow had graduated from Michigan Law School, and it was in the 1870s-1880s. {A reader has pointed out how Darrow attended but did not graduate from Michigan Law School} I found out Harvard, Yale, and Iowa had law schools created during the 19th century as well. Even the American Bar Association was created during that century. Amazed how somebody who claims to be an ex-lawyer didn't even know the history of his profession. But ignorance is everywhere. I once rode a train from Chicago to St. Louis and heard a woman say to her granddaughter how Abe Lincoln was born in Lincoln, IL. Obviously wrong, as he was born in Kentucky.
   I also decided to clean up my online dating account, meaning that inactive matches got closed. It meant reactivating 5 of them, since they finally had added pictures. Though it mostly meant closing ones where she said 'no' to me. Moving them over now means there are over 3,000 closed matches. I have only met a small fraction, just 12. Many of them are due to lack of effort, as they fail to post a photo or respond to my messages. I'm not wasting my time with those who aren't interested. I'm still trying, but I do have standards, one must have them to avoid somebody walking all over them.

Typical Remedies

I was really tired at work and the typical remedies used- cold water on the face and walking around- didn't last long. So I decided to rest before I went out to the comedy club tonight, a Facebook friend was in the contest and won.
    I heard from a former coworker on Facebook, she spoke of a coffee shop, need to hear more about what this venture is, first I had heard of it. I called her 'perky girl', and she was fun to be around, somebody I have no problem with hugging when she comes to visit people in the office.
    It has been a while since I mentioned Emerson Hough, my inspiration as a writer. I did like another letter I found after it was mentioned on the Facebook page. Wow, I just realized that was the third time in this entry how I've mentioned this site. No, I'm not being paid to speak of it.
    What I liked about the letter was there was mention of the man, not just the school. It is a fine school named for one of us, a great writer and conservationist. I have been using the Emerson Hough Huskies towel I had ordered online. Haven't used the other items yet, ordered earlier- the shirt, sweat pants, and travel mug. But I'm sure I will use them soon enough.

While Showering

I haven't had much sleep lately, so I was tired, as usual, while at work and then the comedy club later on. I should know better but I like writing this blog and it does keep me up later than before.
 Mondays tend to be busy at the office, this was no different, so I like having it out of the way. I did some researching on available tickets for football games while on lunch, but some of it will have to wait in terms of purchasing.
   While showering this morning I realized I had a scheduling conflict on this Thursday, so it means moving back one planned event. Thankful I notified the powers that be well in advance.

Back From St. Louis

I went to St. Louis this weekend, my annual visit there. My favorite baseball team, the Cardinals, are there, and I like seeing the brick I bought at the stadium a few years back. I know this may not endear me to any readers who like the Chicago Cubs, but some of my closest friends are Cub fans. I grew up seeing Cub games, played by their minor-league team in Des Moines. The thing I don't like to see is how some Cardinal fans are anti-Cub fans. I do not approve of this sentiment. There was somebody selling shirts outside the game mocking the Cub logo that said 'chokers'. I would much rather be for something than against it, though I know this attitude is not unique to any one team. Some fans are like this anywhere. I should know, as I lived in suburban Chicago for 6 years and there were some Cub fans that were anti-Cardinal fans.
   I saw 2 Cardinal games against the LA Dodgers, Cardinals won both, 8-4 on Friday and 2-0 on Saturday. Liked how the fire department had a fire engine outside the game Saturday with water flowing to cool off fans. I took a turn running through it after the game, it was an afternoon game and I didn't want the sunscreen to wash off. After the game I milled around a little outside a nearby arena where the Lady Gaga concert was taking place, got some pictures there. One was of me in front of the tour bus, another was of a girl wearing a dress made of play money. I posted both in one of my albums on Facebook. After that I went to Union Station, a former train station and now a mall, a little farther west. I like the singing and clapping fudge shop inside of it, will have to order some online as they do have some peanut butter fudge.
   I did some touring as well, going to the Daniel Boone home on Friday and the Ulysses Grant home on Saturday, before both of the games. I rented a car to get to both homes, a nice VW Beetle. Always wanted to drive one, noticed they had one when I was in St. Louis for the college basketball tournament in March. I was told I just had to ask for one and then see if they had it. I grew up with movies where the VW was an important part of the story, like the 'Herbie the Love Bug' movies. Reese Witherspoon drove one in a road movie I liked, called 'Overnight Delivery', but it was a different kind of VW, the boxy 'Thing'. The one I drove even was my favorite color, sort of, a shade of green. I liked how the windshield was farther back, the only thing was the steering wheel locking up on me when I went inside to an ATM on my way to the Boone home. I was in a hamlet of a town, and lucked out that a mechanic was across the street who helped me with it, saying I just needed to jiggle the wheel more when I turned the key. I just didn't know what to do when it had been a while since this had happened to me. The key was switchblade style, also new to me.
   I still liked what I learn from visiting historic sites, and I did read up a little on Boone before getting there, and as expected what I knew was just as much legend as it was fact. With the Grant home it wasn't part of my original plans, as I wanted to see Grant's Farm. As I got closer I saw 2 different signs, one green and one brown, finding out there were 2 different sites. I said I only had time for one and I choose the home as the farm sounded like one big zoo, and I've seen zoos before.
   My dad called my cellphone while there, on Saturday morning. I found the message that evening and called him back, as usual it was nice to hear from Dad. He is not visiting me next month due to cost, no big deal to me. He wasn't all that thrilled to hear I drove a rented VW, since he's a union man and likes American cars. I kind of expected that. I have to go my own way when it's my life. But I think he did like hearing about what museums I saw, hard to recall all we spoke of when there was many subjects. He said he had visited Jefferson Barracks before. I know he took me to St. Louis when I was a teenager. One of the places we went to was the old courthouse where the Dred Scott case was first argued. I go see the Arch and the A-B Brewery every so often, but not every time, need some variety. I get used to the area around my hotel, near the airport, and try to stop at many of these places like the Subway shop and the Denny's. The credit card machine was down at Denny's though it looked like a server, named Denise, was inside. I like her positive attitude when serving people. Another thing I enjoy is a trailer park on this road, with signs that have words to live by like 'live simply so others may simply live'. Another is 'believe in what you do, do what you believe in'. I try follow this in my life.

Oliver!

Saw a play tonight, in a nearby park, "Oliver". Reminded me of some of the songs I sang in music class in grade school, like 'Consider Yourself' and 'Oompapa'. Another, 'Boy For Sale', was parodied on 'The Simpsons'.
   I have Friday off from work, but I had no problem staying caught up on everything. It was kind of odd to get one friend request on Facebook, from somebody in San Diego. It's because we are both fans of Lady Gaga. This musician sure knows how to bring people together!
   Looks like I'm retiring another pair of pants soon, I started the rip while at the play and it's hard to stop once started, a little at a time. May be just as well, these were bigger pants and I've lost more than 20 pounds so they are almost too big now.

County Fair

Went to the county fair and the parade before it. Plenty of candidates for political office were there, got some stickers and flyers. Since it was a parade, there was candy as well, like tootsie rolls, and even oreo cookies. Decided to go on the first day as I expect to be busy for the next few days.
    I ended up meeting somebody I sort of knew from going to comedy clubs, at the commerical exhibits building. He said I looked familiar from somewhere, and that was it. Though this wasn't the only thing making the night memorable. I walked through the carnival section and was encouraged to throw darts at balloons. Threw 3 darts and the only one that hit was the last one, when I was advised to have my eyes closed. I said I didn't have enough to play for real, had spent all of it on food, like a slice of pizza and a caramel apple sundae with ice cream. Got to love those carnies for trying! Another game had Homer and Bart Simpson dolls as prizes, it appealed to me more but I didn't play any of the games-  needed to save some for a play on Thursday.
    I'm trying hard not to make this just a Lady Gaga fan page, but I did see some caricatures tonight and she was one of them. It was funny to see what was in the background, a baby saying 'goo goo gaga'. Another was of Pink, I like her song '13 year old self'.
   I liked getting caught up on most things tonight, like record-keeping. This is why it's a good idea to have only so many nights a week at the comedy shows. I like the sense of community, but balance in life is always a good idea.

History joke

Thankful to hear a history joke tonight, it was about Civil War veterans filmed in the 1930s, and what a rebel yell sounded like. Even went to the comic after the show and said so. Another notable thing after the show was getting more stage time, but had to be careful to avoid scheduling conflicts. Since I have a ticket to see the Lady Gaga show in late August I was moved up one week. I got a few jokes about it as it appears out of character for me but I have a wide range of interest in music. Will have to do jokes about previous concerts I've attended, and choose an outfit tailored to it as well, as I have a few musician shirts.
   Got the release form signed and sent by fax earlier today, so the prize from watching 'The Office' should be arriving soon. I think I will leave it up to my boss as to who gets them after I get mine, so my colleagues have less of a reason not to like me. Boss is on vacation this week, but will be back soon. Wonder what her reaction will be. I know she often likes to get a laugh at my expense but is easygoing and has been one of the better bosses I've had. Sometimes I make it easy to get a laugh, since I'm known for a dour demeanor.

Two Classmates

It felt good to hear from 2 classmates. Both said they had read my letter to the editor that appeared in our hometown's paper recently about Emerson Hough School. One of them said it while telling me they would be out of town when I visit St. Louis soon. The other said he heard about the visit and he would let one of the players know, who happens to be a friend of his from playing AAU basketball in high school.
   I saw a shirt tonight at the comedy club that made me think of Emerson Hough. It was one that had a covered wagon on it and spoke of dysentery, I was told it was in reference to the Oregon Trail video game, haven't played it. Hough of course wrote a novel called "Covered Wagon".
   The shirt I ordered did arrive at the office earlier today, looks great. It says 'help save Emerson Hough' and has a big eagle above it.
   A comedian friend said he was engaged, and of course my friend from work just got engaged as well. I sent him a copy of an "Onion" article where it spoke of changing the national anthem to a Danzig song. It's a musician he likes.
   Also just saw the release form for winning a contest, free lunch for my office mates, from watching syndicated reruns of  'The Office'. So I will want to get it sent in soon. Still need to look up in my cellphone what word I sent by text message to win, a word I will likely remember for a long time. Much like 'balloon', the only word I missed for a while in spelling class in 6th grade, couldn't recall how many double letters it had. Yes I even was in the spelling bee that year, taking third. The word I missed was 'ferocious'. Now I have the Charlie Brown book at the spelling bee, "A Boy Named Charlie Brown", after dating somebody last year who had it. Bought my own copy. My dad said he took me to see it when I was four, but I don't recall it, too young. Couldn't find it for a while, since it was under a different name that I didn't know. Proof that some good can come out of bad relationships.

Infomercials

I still hate how too much of my weekends are still about errand running, but what can you do? I got the things done that need to be done, like dishes, trash, recycle, laundry, and groceries. The day started with falling asleep and then waking up around 7 a.m., with the TV on to an infomercial about hair care with Melissa Gilbert. A little unnerving. Same is true with a dream I had, which I am calling the 'bus ride from hell'. I need to find a way to get it into my comedy routine. I've done some analysis of my dreams before, unsure what I will come up with on this one.
   I did do some more fun things, like picking up 2 CDs and a Star Wars- E1 postcard at a music shop. I finally got some Lady Gaga music, one with multiple versions of "Just Dance". Still looking for the radio version I've heard where it includes an interlude about 'ask your baby father'. I'm sure anyone who reads this blog will find it hard to believe that it's more than just a Lady Gaga fan page. It varies as to what subjects I write about. Though there were two other notable things that need mention- how I made a comment on her Youtube video of a Led Zeppelin cover how I don't see her as a sellout. I once thought I would hear this from friends when I went off the college, an opportunity not all of them had. The other is how I got around to sending a letter to Rolling Stone magazine in response to the interview with her, saying I was looking forward to her concert in August.
    It was nice as usual to go to a comedy show tonight and see people I know, as well as see some funny Facebook postings. I have to work one into my act- how a fellow comic asked if I was stalking his apartment since we both were thinking of the same movie. I said it was pure coincidence, and great minds think alike.

Bastille Day Party

I went to a Bastille Day celebration tonight, I'm sure my high school French teacher would have been proud. Even found a way to mention Lady Gaga while there, saying how I liked that she sang part of 'Bad Romance" in French, much like ELO before her. The older woman next to me said she had heard OF her, just not her music. It was nice to hear some good music there, on a violin and an accordion. Also saw how the accordion player had a beret and striped shirt on, stereotypical French wear. I took 4 years of French in high school, but haven't had many chances to be around other francophones aside from some subtitled movies. I spoke of visiting Montreal, and New Orleans,  8 years ago, haven't been to Paris yet.  Also picked up a book about how America began in Paris, since France helped in the war against the British. There were some people playing petanque, but it didn't look right when the steel balls were thrown instead of rolled, but it was on a pebble surface instead of dirt.
    I had known for a while about being descended from Huguenots, something that my dad had told me since I was a kid. But he was only a good starting point, knowing about Paul Revere being a Huguenot. I read some obscure passage saying that Francis Marion was as well, when he heard about it he said 'the Swamp Fox', which made it easier to look up his biography. When I traveled to the Carolinas in April I did seek out memorials to Marion, and there were plenty in South Carolina, including his grave, part of the state park system. Why not? His guerrilla war tactics helped America win. One of these memorials was in the Huguenot church in Charleston, found this out when attending a service there. Trying to recall if my heritage was the reason for taking the class, I know how taking a foreign language looks great on a college application and there were just 2 options, the other being Spanish.
    I had meant to do an entry last night, but I fell asleep after getting back from a comedy show at an Irish pub and it was 2 a.m. by then and I just went back to sleep after shutting off the T.V. I got the invitation from Facebook, as I have plenty of comedian friends. I had been there once before, also due to Facebook. It reminded me a little of back in March when I got 3 invitations on the same night, had to turn down 2 of them.

Picnic and Contest

It was a full evening tonight after work. I went to a picnic but could only stay for about 30 minutes as I had a scheduling conflict, the comedy contest. It meant saying goodbye to somebody I know that is going to live in another country for 3 years, as her husband got a job transfer. Came as no surprise that she spotted me right away on arrival, and then hugged me. She thought I was lying about being unable to stay any longer, and I asked "What, did you think I had a hot date?" She said she would like to see what I do on dates, unsure how to do that unless I bring along a hidden camera. I have been asked to keep her informed about my social life, although there's still not much to report about it.
   I liked doing the comedy contest again. I didn't win tonight but I know I did way better than last year, as I no longer rely on notes. It ran longer than Monday, so I didn't get to a joke about online dating. The worst thing I did was prove being a little nervous after my set was done, by stepping on a cord. So I did just fine, I know I got plenty of laughs. I liked having one of my comic friends there, who brought his lady friend.
    I may have lost them when I spoke of a friend from work, who had just informed me about getting engaged. I am hopeful to be invited to her wedding, and she said she may be able to introduce me to him as I plan on visiting the town she lives in next month. Don't think I had mentioned her often to my comic friends, as I avoid most serious subjects when at a comedy club, a place for laughs. But this is somebody I have written about before, a rare find in life. When she befriended me I knew right away it was a special thing, what I called a 'benchmark' in my life- she likes to say 'milestone' instead. She is very positive and encouraging, and this was nice to have in my life when I worked with her. It is why I gave her many nicknames, including 'peerless'. Since we still work for the same company- but in different states- I still can hear from her regularly. If anyone has a friend like this, let them know they are valued.

Giveaway Delay

Went to the Saints game tonight shortly after work in hopes of getting a Darwin bobblehead, but it got delayed again, to next month. Normally I don't go to weeknight games, preferring to rest after work. I was tired during the game, which the Saints lost. Needed a pick me up later in the game, some hot cocoa. There was a rain delay before the game began. The scoreboard went haywire, and there was a rabbit on the field, just in foul grounds.
   My letter, in support of Emerson Hough School, was published earlier today in the Des Moines paper. Received a few compliments already on my facebook page, which felt good, including one from the daughter of the writer I was responding to. One classmate said a former teacher would be proud, except I never had that teacher, who was known as impossible and had to kiss a pig once as the popular vote went to her since many students hated her. But I said my writing instructor was still a good one, pushing me to do better.

Tick Tock

It's typical of me to try to check voicemail on my cellphone at least once a day. When I did so today after work, and on the bus, it was from the apartment manager informing me of the showing today. It reminded me of how I am not renewing the lease but still need to get started on the search for another apartment. So when I got home I decided I needed to start looking online, or put another way, get my body in motion. Looks like there are plenty of places to choose from that fit my price range and the location I want, on a bus line and close to work. I even checked to see if my former home was available, where I lived for one year when I had just moved from Illinois, and it is. I plan on making it a high priority to get a lease signed soon, like this weekend. Some of these places do have weekend hours, making it easier for me. I want a larger place that is still affordable, allowing me to keep traveling every so often. Work should be slower for me on wednesday compared to the past two days, and it should allow me to call some of these places to confirm what is available. Some have deals like first month free, which is nice.
   Small crowd at the comedy club tonight, didn't see a bartender at first and the one server was really busy. I still liked getting noticed by many, it's a good feeling to have people know you.
   A notable event was this morning after riding the bus downtown, I was in the skyway and heard a nice song inside of a coffee shop. It was "The Story" by Brandi Carlile, and I was outside until near the end of the song when a security guard asked me to move on. I even said "I like the song" when asked what my business was there, reading a little in a book I bought recently about military forts in the northern plains states. Yes it must be a good song if I was willing to stay and listen to it, since I have the CD as well and can listen to it whenever I want to. But some songs really move me, and this is one of them. Though it also made me think of a story I had to read in English class in high school, don't recall what year. It was called "Repent, Harlequin!" about a master timekeeper called the "Ticktockman". He pulled Harlequin's cardioplate at the end as he had been late too many times, since the machines were so rigid and wanted people to keep moving that no variances were allowed. I'm amazed that it helped me recall this story, as it had been long forgotten.

Stage Time

I got on stage tonight at the comedy club as a warmup for the contest on Thursday. I was the 5th comic up and it went well. I mostly did jokes about what I did for the July 4th holiday weekend, like seeing a movie, a college friend, and a baseball game- including when a bag of peanuts hit me in the teeth. The best compliment I heard was from the comic following me, how I was a tough act to follow. I like how I know fairly well what works and what doesn't. I may get a little nervous in anticipation, but it tends to fade quickly when I take the stage. It's therapeutic to go tell jokes after dealing with different issues in my everyday life. Relatability helps on people laughing, so it likely helps others as much as it helps me.
     It was an odd day at work, the bus and building was on holiday schedules since it was still an observance of July 4th for many. Had to wait longer for a bus in the morning, and fewer doors were open, had to get buzzed in and then sign in at the guard station like being there on a weekend. There were fewer people in the office as well. I saw a bus rider I hadn't seen in a while due to the holiday schedule. So there can be pluses to most setups, provided that you're looking for them.

The Great Ziegfeld

My holiday started with meeting family for breakfast at a Perkins, as my mom and stepdad were in town for a baseball game. There were plenty of other things to do after that. I had a DVD I hadn't watched yet, about the mastermind behind the Ziegfeld Follies, called "The Great Ziegfeld". It was long, about 3 hours, so I split it in two and watched some before lunch and some after lunch. Still need to get it back to the library tonight before turning in. It was nice to watch, as Frank Morgan was in it as a business partner. This wasn't the only connection to "Wizard of Oz" in it as Ray Bolger was in it as well. One was the wizard and the other the scarecrow. Bolger played himself in it, and there was somebody playing humorist Will Rogers.
    Once I completed watching it I needed to get on the road for a Saints baseball game, they won 9-0. The fireworks after the game was nice. As usual I enjoy the people I meet along the way, like the man next to me who had traveled a lot around the midwest and was knowledgeable about baseball and hockey teams. After the game it was a girl who asked for requests for what would be played on her I-phone. I suggested some Lady Gaga, and she played 'Bad Romance' and 'Alejandro'. Because of the holiday ceremonies, the start of the game was delayed but it gave me more time to get a bratwurst and find my seat after taking the shuttle from a bar/roadhouse. The driver recognized me again, it's nice when people know you and ask how you're doing.

Urban Pack

I did get a few things crossed off my list today, like taking pictures. I was reminded of how one of the nearby 3M buildings is being demolished- on my way home from work. It was no big deal driving over to do that one since it's nearby. But there were others, like Hamm's Park, part of the Dayton's Bluff historic district, and even saw a woodcut scuplture of the bear from their ads. The one I wanted to do before was possible today, the Snoopy statue inside a hockey arena named for Charles Schulz. Saw nobody around, after opening the door, so I got a picture and left. It was locked before, so I only got a picture of the sign and a historic water tower in the background.
   The highlight of the day was seeing my college buddy. I called him this morning after seeing his email, and he asked what I was up for doing. I was fine with dinner somewhere, and that is what we did this evening. When I think about it, he is the reason for the name of the blog. I became a fan of "The Simpsons"  as it was what we did as an urban pack. Our college class and work schedules of course didn't match up much. When he said 'quiet, Simpsons are on' we knew what to do. I do look back on this time, my final year of college, fondly. Even then I knew how special it was. I was the little brother all over again, though I liked it more this time. Why? I think because I was treated with decency and respect more than before. I knew I was more valued there. We ate at a nearby restaurant, he recommended the prime rib which was good. The odd thing was how the server kept coming back and said how he couldn't fill my drink order, we were all out of that type of Leinenkugel. So I had it on tap, a big glass reminding me a little of a decanter. I think it was called a 'Schooner', apparently spelled the same as the type of covered wagon. I showed my pictures from my travels, some were from Fort Snelling last August as I know he works near there at the VA hospital but doesn't see the historic part much. Many of the others were from my travels to the Carolinas in April. Almost forgot about one in it, from an antiwar march. Since he's ex-military he likely wasn't thrilled to hear about it and how I'm an ACLU member. I said I support it since I believe in free speech. He said I could fight for it by joining the military. But there are many ways to protect it, like by excercising the rights we have.
   I was wondering what I could gain from the visit, and there is one thing I thought of on the drive home. I spoke of my interest in writing, and how it was tough to find a positive inspiration. It was tough to hear about the bios of some, like Ernest Hemingway and Sylvia Plath. They had drinking problems, suffered from depression, and committed suicide. He reminded me how Hemingway had been wounded in World War I, which was tough to overcome. Then I found the inspiration I needed- Emerson Hough, in my own hometown no less. Found out he liked writing more than other occupations.
   I did share what was relevant about my goings-on. Feels nice to have lost some weight in the past year. While online dating hasn't panned out, I'm still trying. I feel good about finding the courage to try comedy as well. He responded the same way some others did- tell me a joke, make me laugh. I went with one about online dating not going well, and some of the dates I've had like the Cajun Cougar. The cougar jokes are popular, heard them fairly often.
   He suggested seeing a movie at his place, and we saw 'Hangover'. I liked it, as it was a buddy movie and a road movie. As expected, I recognized many of the songs in it, like one by Rihanna and of course 'Iko Iko', when they parodied a "Rain Man" scene.
    What I like is what we have in common, being able to discuss history. This is something that is too rare for me, but I try to find the opportunities wherever possible. We discussed things like Ann Rutledge, who knew Abe Lincoln, and how well they knew each other is still debated. Or even the Lincoln County War in New Mexico, since Hough wrote about Pat Garrett.
     I liked sharing my writings, and he liked reading them. Now it means sending a link so he can read the blog, I said I would write about the visit tonight. He even became today's winner on the 'Simpsons' episode reference, as we were leaving the restaurant we saw lobster in the tank and it reminded me of when Homer picked a dead one, and was told it's better to pick a live one. Another roommate once suggested a sitcom based on our life at the house, the title would be taken from the address. But there was plenty I gain from the visit with somebody who knows me, sometimes it leads to answers when stuck. And it also means feeling more free to be open about certain issues. I once said it may have been an afterthought how I only saw him one time before, since his wife was at work, but I said I was fine with it since I felt more free to discuss manly issues. Hopefully he gained something from it as well, he may have been surprised to hear how I picked up a book recently about military forts in the plains states during the 19th-century Indian Wars from the Sioux (Dakota) uprising to Wounded Knee. I said even though I hadn't served in the military, I knew how it is still a big part of history. This is especially true in this part of the country. Some of our great cities started out as forts.
    It was odd to hear one song on the way there, reminding me of a previous visit. It was 'Driver 8' by REM, likely purely coincidence to hear it both times. Good song, as I like songs about trains, a reason why I like Johnny Cash music as well. Another notable one, heard on the way home, was 'Hands Clean' by Alanis Morrissette. Hard to explain why, maybe since it described well some of my family struggles. Honoring a request for silence, a powerful line. I still like how many answers can be found in music.

Winter's Bone

Went to a movie tonight, 'winter's bone'. Enjoyed reading the review last week, there was an article about the movie and the director. It has won some awards already and there is some Oscar buzz as well. Much of the scenery in it was familiar, being from small town Iowa. There were chainsaws, wood burning stoves, and of course the people looked much like people I had known as a youngster. So yes I do recommend it.
   A classmate on Facebook did read my blog and gave me a few pointers on it, and since their blog has been published in book form I will pay attention. It is proof of how they know what they're doing. The statement which resonated with me the most was 'putting my best foot forward'. I've learned throughout life how I tend to do better when I am putting my best foot forward. As the saying goes, if it was easy then everybody would do it.
   It is odd how I am in some ways returning to my roots after 'being away' for a while. Even though the movie I saw tonight was filmed in Missouri, it still reminded me of Iowa. Then there is the classmate giving me pointers on writing. And we must not forget how fate intervened, in terms of what finally led me to start the blog- my inspiration as a writer, Emerson Hough, a local role model. When I think about it, my writing skills were being developed during my time at school in Newton. I made a visit to my hometown in 2006, on a 'double dip' football weekend- seeing a game there as well as in Iowa City the next day. Both visits I recall making were writing related, as I stopped at the school but the librarian had little information about Hough aside from how somebody donated some of his books to the school. The other visit was to the county soil conservation district. I had kept a certificate from entering their writing contest in junior high, even after the frame fell apart. It took me long enough to realize how important it was to get recognition for my writing, as it was nearly 20 years later. It felt foolish to refuse to attend the award ceremony now, but back then I just wanted the extra credit for science class. So it was an afterthought to enter the essay contest. I actually recall saying how now they won't leave me alone. I was a dumb kid then. Nobody was telling me how it was a GOOD thing to get an award, even if it wasn't for first- but third. Probably had little competition, but who cares? The odd thing is how I can't even recall what I wrote now, but it must have been something related to soil conservation- and in some way, farming. The main thing I didn't care for was my mom wanting to dig it up years later, totally unnecessary. She could have been the one who told me how it's nice to get an award. The certificate is still here somewhere, now in a plastic sleeve, hard to find wall space to display it. But it's still there to remind me of my origins as a writer.
   My inspirations and influences of course do extend beyond Newton. Two others contacted me today, something I noticed when checking email. Both are in my 'ring of honor'- friends and mentors I have had pictures taken with. One of them is a college roommate, who lives in a nearby town and works at the VA hospital. The other is a former boss and mentor, who just accepted my friend request on Facebook. No matter where I go or what I do I will think of that mentor, very positive, encouraging, and patient. I once called her the orthodontist I didn't hate as she 'put braces on me'.
    I just looked under the table where I am typing and decided to look for the certificate and FOUND IT! An earlier version of me had the right idea- find another picture frame for it. Yes, it does look better in a frame. As I recall it was from Walgreen, real cheap. Now the trick is to find a place for displaying it where it is seen more often.
    I should get back to my thought about my mentor. I am sure she is proud of what I have done since leaving Illinois. Believing in somebody is a good thing. She may not be familiar with all of it, and might be a little surprised as well that I found the courage to take the stage and tell jokes. Many people have said they couldn't do an open-mic night. At times I feel the need to lean on her for advice, but I am stronger and wiser now so I think this urge occurs less often than it did. I've spoken before of my visit to New Orleans being a 'benchmark' in my life, and I recall how she gave me pointers about what to see, do, and eat there. The food, drink, and music was all good there, and led me to understand how I tend to land on my feet no matter what happens in my life. So I didn't need to carry around all of this angst. Though this was only the beginning on the path, there was a ways to go of course to get to where I am now and where I am still trying to get to. But I'm sure I can make it.

summer planning

i decided that i needed to do more planning of upcoming summer events. it means finding out when certain festivals will be this month, like the county fair, lumberjack days, and canadian days. doing my best to avoid any scheduling conflicts, might mean attending some events a little earlier than normal. i like how it doesn't take long to print an online article and look at when it is, what weekend. or in the case of seeing some museums when i go to st. louis, finding out their hours of operation. trying to do things one at a time, and in order. later events, like in the fall, can wait for now unless i need event tickets and those might sell out early.
   i retired another item today, this time one of my backpacks. mine had 2 big holes in it that kept growing and some of the strands kept catching in the zipper, so i had to cut them off and needed to find scissors of course. now i am using the star wars backpack again, it had been used for some of my packs of pictures. bought it at a secondhand store my first year here, and wanted it for getting around san francisco for my vacation. told my boss about this earlier today, as it stood out in my memories of the vacation. i was at  a park near haight-asbury, the hippie section of town, where somebody said they liked it and i said 'thank you' and kept moving. in the same park, somebody else asked me if i wanted herb. i said no, figuing he meant marijuana or weed. still a good story to tell. and this isn't just any star wars bag either, as it's one from episode 1, where ewan mcgregor was obi-wan. i have had an obi-wan picture up in my office for a while to remind me of a former boss and mentor, who was given the nickname by me.
   also notable was hearing from a former coworker from my time in suburban chicago. we played phone tag for a while, but finally spoke. it was about various subjects, though i had to admit how my time there now feels like a distant memory. it's been more than six years since i've lived there and much has changed in my life since then. doing things now i wasn't doing then, like writing, comedy, and online dating. i still like visiting once a year, as there are some positive memories of being there. we must hold onto the positive as much as we can, and try to find it as much as possible since it is there if one looks for it.