60 Minutes Feature

I was out of town this weekend, made it back to see a feature on '60 Minutes' about my hometown of Newton, Iowa. It was sad to see it since it spoke about the economic problems after Maytag left town. I liked how there was mention of the closure of Emerson Hough School, but would have liked seeing mention of it being named for a Newton native as well. In many ways it was a reminder of why I looked elsewhere for work after I graduated from college. There just didn't seem to be enough to come back to. I've seen this sad story in other small towns, left behind by the economy because they're small towns. Way too many empty storefronts, and the industrial jobs had dried up. When I got advance notice of the feature, I thought of how there were some warnings of what had happened in other towns earlier- movies like 'All The Right Moves', 'Gung Ho', and 'Roger and Me'.  I will want to find out about getting a copy of the feature on CD.
    It was a fun weekend, I went to Iowa City to see the Hawkeye football game. Iowa beat Michigan State 37-6. Looks like they worked off the frustration from the one-point loss to Wisconsin from last week. Liked going to the tailgating event at the Fieldhouse, good food and meeting somebody I knew from Iowa Club events in Des Moines. She was in the legislature and an ambassador in the Caribbean. Things had changed at this venue, fewer entrances compared to when I was a student there, a big banner over the main entrance now. It was a nice discovery on being there, walking past the swimming pool and seeing mention of Irving Weber, a local historian. A school was named for him while I was there. I was unaware of him being an All-American swimmer at the university as well.  I did see a classmate while tailgating before the game closer to the stadium, he said our mutual friend is fine after his wife left him. I was keeping my distance, not wanting to alienate my friend, a Little League teammate I've known since age 9. Figured he would talk when he wants to, I've been told to try again and he may be more receptive now.
   Also saw my college roommate in Coralville after the game, since he works at the local VA Hospital. I like the discussions we have about history, since we both majored in it. I picked up an Iowa Hawkeye sweatshirt at a JC Penney at Coralville Mall since I wanted to replace 2 of them I've had for a while that had gotten ratty. One was from the campus bookstore, had it 17 years. And the other from a HyVee grocery store after college, 13 years. I was a little picky about which one, since I hope it lasts for a long time like the other two did. So I found one that said 'Iowa' and the 'Tigerhawk' logo. Made it back home in the late afternoon, was listening to the final debate for governor en route. It was shades of 6 years earlier, when I went to Winnipeg, Manitoba, for a Van Halen concert on Halloween weekend. Right before an election, and then crossing a border- but this time just a state border and not an international one. It would be a good joke with the border guards- 'let me back in the country so I can vote!'  Called my dad after getting back and let him know my schedule, and I plan on making it back for a few days for Thanksgiving, but not for too long like before. And I watched a little of Game 4 of the World Series, Giants beat the Rangers tonight to go up 3-1. There was some camera shorts of the two presidents named Bush, and of former pitcher Nolan Ryan, now part-owner of the Rangers.

Haunted Theater

I liked reading about a haunted theater in the paper so I went to it tonight. It was one that dated back to the silent movie era of the 1920's. Somebody in our group at first looked like one of the actors, but she wasn't. She had on a green dress and a black corset and black boots, she looked very stylish. I let her know after we went through how I thought she had a nice outfit on.
  A big part of my day off was errand running, but I liked getting plenty of things done. People are definitely noticing the henna tattoo, when I went to get a sandwich at Subway it was noticed by the sandwich artist. Then later on at Walgreen when picking up film, though that clerk made an odd statement. She asked if I was married since Muslim women have henna tattoos. I'm none of those three. The last of the 3 places it was noticed was at the haunted theater.
   The other thing getting noticed is wearing a Chicago Blackhawks jersey, I guess it would get noticed since this isn't Chicago. I tell them I used to live there, and even went there last weekend to see a friend.
   My classmate and Facebook friend said she accepted a marriage proposal, and told me to keep the faith with online dating. I've been trying it for two years and it just hasn't panned out yet for me though.

Pumpkin Carving

I joined a team to do pumpkin carving, had to do it today since I am out of the office on Friday. It didn't take long once we got started on it in the afternoon. It had been a while since I had done it, usually I just draw on one in hopes of giving it another life as a pie. Stayed nearly an hour after my normal leave time at the office to see that I was caught up on everything. I am often the one that says 'don't stay too late!' to others, sometimes they say it to me.
   I had another first date tonight, we went to a sandwich/pizza shop. She did notice the henna tattoo on my right hand, kind of hard not to. Unsure what to expect from it, as I've been on many first dates before and most of them didn't pan out. I let her know how I did want to see her again, so after I call her in a few days it will be her move. As usual I let my advisors know about it, one of them my college roommate in a nearby town and another a classmate I hear from on Facebook.

Writing Seminar

I went to another event tonight that was a Facebook invitation, a writing seminar as I am a member of the National Writers Union. I once recall my dad saying to me that he didn't want me following in his footsteps at Maytag, as I would get laid off. I found other ways, by joining his union. The event was at a meeting room in a nearby library. When we went around the room to introduce ourselves, I did speak about the blog and how I was inspired to write about Emerson Hough in it. I was informed that the best way to promote the blog was to read other blogs, something I hadn't considered before. I have wanted to attend more of these events, but there were scheduling conflicts since they were while I was at work. When I spoke of wanting to get more people to read the blog I realized that I will really have mastered salesmanship if I accomplish my goal of more readership. It's a good tiein to seeing a good friend of mine this weekend, since sales is their occupation and I did learn plenty from them about salesmanship being a part of your life no matter what your line of work is.
   I was paying attention to the little girl there, one attendee said she brought the girl due to childcare issues. Kids can be fun to be around, since they have plenty of energy. Also noticed the candy there, I had some but then stopped after seeing the calorie content on little peanut butter cups. I stay thin when I look at calorie content.
   As expected, there was the 'sniping' at the end of the silent auction at work today. I had bid on eight different items at one point or another, but it looks like I was outbid on all but one. It was annoying how I was otubid on some during the final minutes by just five cents, after seeing my bid! But I guess it makes it easier to afford the one I did get. I was mostly bidding on food gift certificates, but not going over the declared value as what's the point, even of the proceeds go to charity? All of the comedy club tickets were bid on, so I didn't feel the need to bid on those since I get in free anyway. While it would have been nice to have some of the other gift cards, I can still go to those restaurants if I want to, don't need a gift card to go in.

United Way Campaign

We've had an ongoing United Way campaign at my workplace, it includes a silent auction. Plenty of food gift certificates being offered, but I won't bid over the declared value of one. Also noticed there were 3 pairs of tickets to a comedy club I frequent, 1 of them has no bids yet. It would be a good joke to say I bought tickets I didn't need, but I can give them to somebody like my college roommate. At the end of the day I had bid on about 7 different items, but had the leading bid on only 1. No need to bid too much on the first day, as it would make the bidding go too high. These auctions are known for the act of   'sniping', AKA last-minute bidding, anyway. Told a comic friend about it after the show tonight.
   Found out Youtube has some full-length movies, when searching for anything on 'End of the Line' from 1987, starring Wilford Brimley and Kevin Bacon. It was about the protest of closing a railroad line in Arkansas. It intrigued me when seeing the ending on cable, but the movie was hard to find for a while. It was filmed in Arkansas when President Clinton was governor of the state, saw the closing credits. Watched the opening credits on Youtube, no time for all of it right now. But I like knowing it's there.
   It was windy tonight, could tell when driving to the club as my light car was getting beat around a lot.

Henna Tattoo

There was Henna tattoos being offered at my workplace today, since it was a day with an India theme about all of the walking we've done. I decided to get one, on my right hand. Brown paint, but leaves an orange color. Decided to make it my first joke tonight at the comedy club since people were noticing it. I was number 7 tonight, my latest spot in the open-mic lineup, previously it had been number 5. Also did some jokes about being in Chicago for the weekend, as traveling usually yields some good material.
   I went to Porky's in St. Paul tonight since I had read about in a book by comedian Louie Anderson I've been reading, called 'Dear Dad'. He said one of his sisters worked there.
   I took a slightly different route home tonight from the club as there was some hard rain, and prefer staying off the interstate when it happens.

Blunder Bowl in Chicago

I went to Chicago for the weekend, it was capped by seeing the Bears-Redskins game today. I recall reading about an early Super Bowl being called a 'Blunder Bowl' due to the numerous turnovers, this game was worthy of the name as well. Bears lost 17-14, there was a missed field goal besides the turnovers, which I had lost count of.
   I was a little worried about getting back to the airport in time for my flight at 6pm, since the game ended around 3pm.  It was slow getting back to the train, being foot traffic, taking nearly an hour. But the train moved quickly once I was on it, and I was still there about an hour before my flight. Good thing, since I was ticketed to fly first-class, the first time ever, and it was overbooked. Didn't want to lose my first class seat if I could help it! There were some subtle differences flying in first class, for one thing comfortable seats and more roomy. But also getting to board first and getting more attention from the flight attendant. And getting drinks served in a glass instead of a plastic cup. I did wear a suit coat and a tie, saying I should do that to make it look like I actually belong there. But I had no sport shirt due to wearing a Bears sweatshirt at work on Friday, so I was still wearing the jersey from the game underneath!
   I am thankful as usual to have seen a dear friend of mine from work, we met for a drink after the Iowa-Wisconsin game on Saturday. Iowa lost 31-30, I left the bar a little early in hopes of getting there on time. With my friend was her intended, she announced the engagement in the past month or so. I had already given my approval, as long as he treats her well and that they know they are right for each other. She said right away he is a great guy, and I found this out as well. He's a Midwesterner, from suburban Detroit. It made me chuckle when I was describing one ex and said I didn't like how she was moody and wouldn't tell me why. Then he put his hands on her ears and said 'women are like that'. He also inspired me to look up the Super Bowl Shuffle on Youtube. This may extend to other things, like mention of how I likely have enough material to write about staying at Motel 6 locations across the country. Already became accountable to my friend by giving her a goal list- now better known as a 'bucket list' due to the movie of the same name. I knew I needed to try harder when I told somebody else, as I hate disappointing people. Along with looking up where they plan to get married, a historic haven in Michigan, and how he is a member of a club originally formed to get Ulysses Grant elected president. It's called the Union League Club I think. I was hearing the right word, history. He's a businessman, investment banker/hedge funds, so he sounds like the type that her dad approves of, who is a businessman and votes Republican. He spoke of hearing Bush 43 speak.
   I have been encouraged to make it for an outing at a comedy club, but I want to do more than just be in the crowd. Also want to go onstage. With the seniority at my employer I have days to use, and an extra day or two would give me more time. Rarely do I have the chance due to quick visits.
   It can be tough to go back to the old neighborhood, as some things are familiar and others are not. Things change, and it has been over six years. But I am thankful I made it to the library to research Emerson Hough there, and there was plenty of articles online that the librarian helped me find. There was even a photo from the Library of Congress collection. It will likely yield some new information for me, but some of it was already familiar. I like seeing the differences on what each article covers.
   Other notable events were seeing a dog in the reception area of the suburban Motel 6 I was staying at, closed to the public for the night, and somebody wanting to do situps inside as well. I guess they were there to keep the desk clerk from feeling lonely. And then there was a man who saw me right after checking out, asking me if I had received any prank calls and I hadn't. I did say I was on my way to the Bears game, but I was still intrigued by his story. He spoke about filing criminal charges and wanting a refund from the hotel, sounded like he may have been an 'extended guest' of the motel. Looked like a roughneck, probably wouldn't be friends in real life, but I like telling people's stories when I think of myself as an everyman. Even said it reminded me of how my dad deadpanned one wrong number when we were staying in St. Louis, saying 'all I have here is a 17-year-old son' when the caller said he was told by a buddy there was a hooker here at this number.

Being Dour

I was doing some errand running and got to the laundromat later than I wanted to, around 9:30 pm. I had my loads in when somebody came in and asked if it was mine, normally the last wash is at 9pm but I would be allowed to stay. I noticed their Kansas City Chiefs shirt they were wearing.
   One of the reasons I was a little late was the reminder of how 'Big Bang Theory' is on Thursdays now, and I wanted to see it. I was paying attention to the closing credits and noticed Sheldon's friend Amy is played by Mayim Bialik, who had the lead role on "Blossom".
   At work the 'pop culture psychiatrist' said somebody anonymously wanted to notice how I was smiling, rare for me, when I got an employee of the month award at a meeting Wednesday. Odd, how they think I don't smile much though I do embrace being dour often. I said I take my work seriously and I am different when off the clock.

Baseball Playoffs

I stayed in tonight and watched much of the baseball playoff game on TV, Phillies-Giants. Don't think I was rooting for anyone, just wanted to see a good game. I did fall asleep in the middle of it for about an hour, and eventually went to the grocery store to get a snack. It was a little ice cream and some pumpkin muffins.
   I knew I was tired as I nearly fell asleep on the bus after work, and the screeching tires from a nearby car woke me up. Somebody laughed when I said 'that will wake you up'.
   It was the first day of the United Way campaign at work, I got my pledge in early as there is a drawing for some airline tickets. It was a smaller pledge than previous years, but I am sure there are some who don't donate anything at all.
  I had read an online article about how actor Tom Bosley had died, best known as the patriarch on 'Happy Days'. He once said in an interview he expected his tombstone to read 'here lies Howard Cunningham, he used to be Tom Bosley'. Though he did have roles after this show, like on 'Murder She Wrote' and 'Father Dowling Mysteries'. He was the sheriff in the former and a priest in the latter. Don't think I watched 'Dowling' much but recall he wore a Chicago Cubs jacket in it and solved mysteries with a nun named Steve. I also recall a black and white movie I saw in high school where he played George W. Norris, a Nebraska senator willing to filibuster to prevent a lame-duck Congress from voting on American entry into World War I.

Flu Shot

I went to the comedy club tonight and enjoyed meeting somebody who was the friend of one of my comedian friends. Actually he is a magician/comedian. It's because his friend is somebody I could discuss history with! I liked discussing the craft of comedy with him as well, as I understand it.
   I am still trying to schedule a date with one of my online matches but it looks like we are running into scheduling conflicts, hopefully we can still work something out for next week. Being out of town for most of the next two weekends made it harder.
   There were flu shots offered at work for free, I got one near the end of my lunchtime. I figured our facility manager, or facility 'czar' as I call her, would want me to get one. She was the one that found me in the breakroom last year and pretty much marched me in there to get one. It was my first-ever flu shot. Seemed appropriate on some level to see her again in the breakroom this time, though it was trying to straighten the artwork depicting food. Emailed her later on and said I did it, she was pleased.
   Went to a Menards to get a window insulator kit for the winter, saw somebody I knew there but it was after I had started up the moving sidewalk, couldn't stop and go back. I don't know his real name, calling him 'Ron Paul' since he supported him for president. Knew him from riding the bus.
   After Menards I stopped for a quick dinner at a convenience store and was captivated by seeing a woman in front of me in line. She had a gray wool dress on with bare legs, although this time of year that can be really chilly.

Old Football Book

During a fire drill on Friday I saw a good friend of mine from work and he spoke with one of the senior leaders about great NFL tailbacks. Both lamented how many have never seen the greats because they are retired now, meaning they are sadly forgotten or unknown. I decided to go looking for a book I had about some of these players, and found it since I was motivated to do so. It was published in 1973 and found at a secondhand store. I like reading older books to see what they emphasized then, especially history books.
   It is true, some of the players in it are largely forgotten. I had never heard of Leroy Kelly (Browns) and Larry Brown (Redskins) before reading the book. There were 14 players profiled, starting with Jim Thorpe and ending with OJ Simpson. I had heard of Floyd Little (Broncos) as I once worked with somebody in college who had lived in Colorado for 30 years. He said the Denver Broncos offense was simple for a while, hand off to Floyd Little for 3 downs and punt if they didn't get a first down.
   I had to remind myself how space reasons likely meant why some players weren't in it, like Ernie Nevers. His team was the inspiration for the movie "Leatherheads" starring George Clooney, about the early days of the league. I liked reading about the Steelers glory years in other books, winning 4 Super Bowls in the 1970s. Franco Harris was their main tailback, but he isn't in this book. He was still a young player then and his team hadn't won any Super Bowls just yet.
  When this colleague heard I had found the book he said he hopes that more people remember today's players better- due to archival footage- but he doubts this will happen. Since players come and go fairly often. Put another way, out of sight often means out of mind.

Dead Sea Scrolls

I was discussing comedy with somebody at the wedding on Saturday, and we eventually got around to Louie Anderson. I said I had his book 'Dear Dad', bought at a secondhand store, but hadn't read it yet. I read the first 50 pages and there was plenty I could relate to, good or bad, about comedy and family.
   I did some writing for a contest which will be closing soon. Now it means getting around to typing it and submitting it when I have the time. Also made it to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Science Museum, as it will be closing in a week. Learned something as usual, in this case it included how 'Zealot' once meant a particular group of people, slightly different from small-z 'zealot' but likely the origin of the word and definition. Same is true for 'Mentor' as it was once a person's name, a proper name, then became to mean something a little different. In the writing contest I am writing about some of the mentoring I do.
    Made it to the comedy club tonight, and was surprised I was able to get stage time but made the most of it. There's a haunted house as well, and I helped with it by putting on a yellow clown costume and laughing at customers while trying to eat a rubber brain. Loved it! I said I had to do clown jokes after it, like one about John Wayne Gacy. On some level I am still amazed at being able to do so well while shooting from the hip and going from memory, but I've done this often enough to know what works.
   After being on stage I was a little distracted by somebody I thought looked like my former boss and mentor, but found out on a closer look after the show it wasn't her. Just looked like her from the side, and from a distance. She lives in suburban Chicago anyway. But I liked the feeling that it could have been her, seeing me using my talents.

Facebook Wedding

The Facebook wedding was today. I thought I was late as it was at a Minneapolis lake bandshell and I am unfamiliar with the town. Parked a little ways away and had to walk around the lake a little. But when I got there it hadn't started yet and the program had it starting 15 minutes later than the Facebook invitation. So I felt good about being early instead of late, once I caught my breath from the brisk walk.
  It was offbeat in many ways, but I liked how it wasn't the typical wedding. Everything about it worked! Shorter than most ceremonies I've been to, just under 30 minutes. (Once went to one that lasted just 7 minutes, was told later on how the groom wanted it that way, short attention span.) It was what I should have expected from a comedian wedding, as there was plenty of jokes and plenty of laughing. The officiant started off with saying 'we are here to celebrate this thing called life'. A quote by Prince, the musician, if I'm not mistaken. Later on it meant reading from Dr. Seuss.
   The food was very good, liked seeing cheese and crackers there. I ate 2 cupcakes, this worked for me as well as there was no need to cut a cake. Thankfully the weather held up, it was quite warm. I even took part in the jam session that was after the ceremony, bringing a harmonica. I got the reaction I normally get when I ask if they know any Lady Gaga music, they usually don't know it or don't like it. Then I said it was more likely they knew some Johnny Cash, and the 2 guitar players played '13'. A photographer got a picture while I was playing with them, and I said 'hopefully you got my good side'. Probably looked a little comical to see somebody in a suit playing a harmonica.
    After getting back from the wedding I went to a comedy show in the evening, there is a haunted house in this comedy club as well. I took off the suit coat before I went there, which had a button on it. I got comments from 2 people at the wedding about the button, placed near the bottom of the suit coat. It said 'Dan the Man', of course this is the family friend running for office. The best man said I Bogarted somebody's high five, and I paused, not knowing what to say. Then he noticed the button.
    Big crowd at the comedy show, one of my favorite comics was there, hence why I chose to attend. He did all of my favorite jokes. Still like the voice inflection when he imitates the trainer from the 'Rocky' movies.

Music and Art

I went to a music and art event tonight. A news anchor was there as the MC. The music was all right but I noticed some gaps in the guitar playing, and sometimes the guitar amp was too loud that I almost couldn't hear the singing well. But it was a free event, and the food was fine. Nice to see people showing off their talents. I was listening closely to the music since I want to have it envelope me and truly experience it.
   There was a Target store nearby so after the event I went there to get a wedding gift for the Facebook wedding tomorrow. Finding the gift registry was tricky as I was a little rusty, so I asked for some help with it. There weren't many options left in terms of price range and availability in the store, which is fine as it narrowed the list pretty well. It took me less time to find something.
  Busy day at work, made it to 20 laps at the end of the day. But I reached my goal, so that's good. Had some Lady Baltimore cake at lunchtime for the first time in a while, since I was hungry after the lap walking.
   Facebook can be a good tool. One of my comic friends spoke of good driving songs. He said 'Lost At Birth' by Public Enemy was the best, asked if 'Radar Love' ranks high on the list. Thanks to Youtube I listened to it and 2 other songs by them. I said 'By The Time I Get To Arizona' and 'Get the F Out Of Dodge' were good ones as well. Those songs also suggest 'driving song' with the titles alone. Another comic called me 'dear' which made me laugh. I was asking if he was having another show nearby soon, he had me confused with somebody else.

More Good Theater

I went to a play tonight after work, 'How to Talk Minnesotan', at a small theater inside of a hotel. It had plenty of laughs in it about Minnesota stereotypes, like hot dish. Liked meeting the actors after it.
   Looks like another one of my letters written in support of a family friend will be published. Feels good to have writings accepted, especially when I am ineligible to vote for him and want to help in any way I can.
   I am finding out the power of words when writing, the more I write. One wants to send the right message, and it means being careful when writing. Interpretation is left up to the reader, and one wants to avoid being misunderstood. I aim to send the message to vote for him, and why he's the right choice based on what he's for.
    I walked another 20 laps at work, but it left me hungry which I don't like. I ate some before the play, during intermission, and after the play. I would have done it all at once but wanted to get to the play on time.
    Enjoyed discussing children's books at work with a colleague today, since his mom is a librarian. These books send an important message to the reader. Put another way, there is a moral to the story. Some stories like Grimm fairy tales have a lesson in them, and just as famous for lessons is the 'boy who cried wolf'.

Cupcakes at Work

I did 20 more laps at work, 2 or 3 at a time when I had the chance. It was a busy day but I tried to find the time whenever possible as 2-3 laps doesn't take long. There was cupcakes as well, celebrating a new client.
   I was asked by the family friend running for office to send more letters of support to other publications in the district he is running to represent. It was no problem whatsoever, especially in the online age. I hadn't heard of some of them, but when one lives in the county seat we would mainly know what is in that town. The district is most of the county. I tweaked it a little, cutting out a few things and adding others. I said I am truly impressed with his work with youth programs and educational opportunities.
   I fell asleep this evening and after watching 'Cougar Town' there was a special about the Chilean miners. After a few minutes of watching it I decided to go down the street and get a snack as I was hungry. I bought a pumpkin pie and a little ice cream. I'm sure the laps I walked had something to do with it. I can be competitive and my team leader sure is, who suggested what I call 'shoe shining', doing a lap when I could. I even referred to how I was sometimes competitive as kid, winning a silver dollar when I won a tricycle race.
  

Two Packages

There were two packages delivered to me at my workplace earlier today. One was campaign materials from a family friend running for office- stickers, cards, and buttons. I am displaying a sticker and card in my office and put a button on my denim jacket. The other package was a ticket I had ordered for an upcoming event. I was unsure if there was any delays due to a slight change in the mailing address, but the guard upfront said items were still arriving.
  I did 40 laps around the floor in support of the walking team I am a part of, had more of the time to do so since the workload was lower today. I spoke of how I had done Relay for Life with the American Cancer Society before, and I enjoy walking. But I do fun and games when my normal duties are done.
  Also notable today was what I saw while waiting for the bus after work. A blind man was trying to cross the street and fell, tripped on a construction cone. I heard him swearing a little after falling. I would have helped him but others were closer and could react more quickly. I would have had to jump down from where I was sitting before I could do anything.

Sad Hometown News

Since I am on Facebook I am more easily informed about what is happening in my hometown of Newton, Iowa. The bad news from there just keeps happening, most recently there was a murder this weekend. I know the town has had them before- including a police officer (in the line of duty) back in 1985 but some are saying the town is getting worse since Maytag left. One commenter on the article said people should get their children out- immediately. It's just hard to know how to respond to such tough news.
  In other issues, I noticed one of the letters in support of a family friend's candidacy has been published. Will have to see if the other will be as well.
   I decided to drop somebody as a Facebook friend, but I did not tell them as it would be pointless. This is somebody who seems to be attacking me constantly, either in person or online. I don't even know what I did to get on their bad side, but based on my past experiences I probably did nothing at all. Some people are that way with many others, but I only care how they treat me. And I don't care what their reasons, or excuses are, as decency is the way to conduct oneself in life.
 

Eminem Interview

I decided to do some research before writing a letter to the editor in support of a family friend who is running for office in Iowa. I was pleased with what I found, 2 letters in support of him. Another site mentioned all of his community involvement- a site specifically about candidates. Even recognized the name of one of his campaign employees, a classmate from elementary school. As usual it didn't take long to know what to write as the editors like writers that can make a point really quick. So it means going with your "A Game". I thought about giving mention to how he gave me an Iowa Hawkeye mug when I graduated from college, but it seemed to lack relevance. I did speak of knowing him for a long time since he was a classmate of my brother's. Hopefully one or both will be published. I let him know in advance so it wouldn't be surprising to him.
     A big part of my day was errand running and chores. I finished watching the DVD and got it back to the video store. I had a close call while driving after leaving the video store, when I was pulling into the street I noticed an oncoming car was closing in faster than I thought. So I said to myself  "Uh!" and acted quickly to get through the intersection. After that I made it to the mall and used a Dairy Queen coupon, it was 2-for-1 on Blizzard treats. It was my last stop since I eat one right away and take the other home for later on in the week.
  Didn't go to the comedy club tonight, pro football games ran long on CBS. I saw a promo for "60 Minutes" where an interview with Eminem, the musician, would be aired. It was a good one, and of course part of it mentioned his movie '8 Mile', which made me a fan of his music. I like interviews as there's plenty to learn from people if paying attention.

Prairie Home Companion

It was a full day, and it did include seeing the radio show 'Prairie Home Companion' live at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. I waited for it to come back there as it had been on the road often. Don't know if this was a 'bucket list' item, but I like how I got this done. You just have to ask what it's worth to you, and eventually I do get these things crossed off my list.
   I noticed how host Garrison Keillor was wearing red gym shoes with his suit, and with my line of work I understood it's more comfortable if on your feet a lot. Enjoyed all of the music in it, five songs stood out for me. There was Willie Nelson's 'Always on My Mind', along with "Moon River", 'For the Beauty of the Earth', 'In My Life' (marking Beatles frontman John Lennon's birthday) and the Everly Brothers song 'Bye Bye Love'. There was a guitar duo from Montana doing some of those songs, including 'Earth', a church hymn I know. Liked how one of them played a harmonica, the only musical instrument I own. The main thing I like about church is the music. I liked how the familiar characters from listening to it on the radio were there, like Guy Noir private eye, the ads for Powder Milk Biscuits, and doing the Lake Wobegon news. I had heard about Wobegon back when I was in junior high, I know the show has been around for a while.
   The day started early, I called my dad this morning after having my breakfast, oatmeal. We had missed connections earlier, And I said I still needed to get my schedule finalized better and it will be soon. Then it was on to JC Penney to a get a new outfit for my date, I didn't take as long as I normally do since I knew I didn't have much time. I found a good sport shirt and dress pants on sale and I was in and out, including the fitting room, in about 10 minutes. I still needed to shower and did so, and it worked in my favor to have it at a coffee shop near me as I made it just in time after walking over there. She was wearing the outfit as I was told, the black dress and leopard leggings. It was a corduroy fabric if I'm not mistaken, so an Audrey Hepburn-type black dress it wasn't. No big deal though. We spoke for a while, over an hour, then she said she wanted to get to the gym. I let her know I would like to see her again, and she has given me her number so I will hope for the best.
    Since I wanted to check email I didn't have all that much time between the date and getting to the Fitz for the show. I did recap my day when I called my college roommate in Memphis. Since I have a new outfit I am likely to retire some others. I usually keep outfits as long as I can, in the case of dress pants I still often wear them even after the leg bottoms start to look shredded.

Led Zeppelin Music

There were a few things I wanted to get done tonight after work in preparation for my date on Saturday. This included getting a haircut. I found a place in a plaza that also had a sandwich shop and a Blockbuster Video. The video store was the last of the three I went to, and I wanted to find 'Drumline' but they didn't have it there. It was recommended to me after a comedian friend had heard I had seen the Grambling band perform. I decided to see what was in the store, and noticed they had "Song Remains The Same", a movie with Led Zeppelin music in it. This reminded me of a friend from school I had parted ways with years ago, as he got me interested in their music. I still like their music so he did do something good for me. But I still did not accept his friend request on Facebook. He had mentioned this movie before, so it had bugged me since high school as I hadn't seen it and didn't know where to find it. I like how eventually I get things crossed off my list, it helps to pay attention to the opportunities available. I tried watching it tonight but I was tired and fell asleep during it so I will have to try again soon on watching it.
   A notable thing about the sandwich shop was meeting somebody who mentioned a haunted house. Haven't been there, but it sounded familiar as a gig one friend has since he does ghost gigs. And he had seen him do comedy before, so I guess that's called a small world.
   I called back my dad over my lunch today after seeing he left a message on Wednesday evening. Sometimes I leave my cellphone shut off for a while and can forget to check messages daily as I don't get many calls. I checked this morning while riding the bus to work and thought 'oh no!' It was the announcement about Thanksgiving plans. I said mine weren't set yet since we haven't done 'choose your days' at work, but will be soon. There is a football game that weekend I would like to see, so even if I go to Iowa for the holiday it won't be for the entire weekend. I hate having to think this far ahead though, since it is still more than a month away.

Wedding Magnet

I checked the mail today and got a wedding magnet from my cousin. I recognized the name on it, and actually it was just an announcement for the day, next June. I thought it was a big deal to get a wedding invitation on Facebook, from a comedian friend, which will be in just over a week.
   A colleague told me about his cousin asking for help on a science project, and how the mom told him not to help since he likes to blow up things and would be a bad influence on him. Had to laugh about this one since he had told me about a cannon that launched potatoes.
   The online dating experience is still in flux, one match- the rodeo girl- dropped me saying it wasn't working out for her. It was her loss to give up so early before we even met. But I'm probably not missing much since she couldn't really describe her line of work well, or at least in a positive fashion. This still seems to be a good way to weed out the nutjobs, as one of them talked about her college major instead of her job when I asked this question. It is still a good idea for me to drop those matches who suffer from 'lack of effort'. If I get no response after 4 weeks that's long enough to wait. Going by the 'lack of effort' standard has been effective so far, since so few seem to meet this standard. I just wish more of them did, as I prefer to meet people first before accepting or rejecting them.
   In more positive news, I do have a date lined up for Saturday afternoon. My date did inform me about what outfit she will be wearing, but at a small coffee shop she should be easy to find. Now it means seeing I am ready for it in terms of appearance. I haven't had a haircut in a while so it means getting one. I wanted to use a coupon at an upscale 'barber college' but found out they have a long waiting list for appointments so going there will have to wait. I am not used to going to a place where an appointment is needed anyway. But my performance and not my outfit should be most important. I am reminded of a line from a movie I like, 'Only the Lonely' starring John Candy. In it his love interest tells herself not to mess it up after first meeting him and setting up the first date. I am trying to remember to apply the lessons learned from previous dates about what to do and what not to do. I often thought I was hitting all of the right notes when I wasn't. But I also know some of my dates just weren't a good fit. No matter what, I just hate going through all of the quick rejections, the 'one and done' dates. Been on more of those than I really care to admit. I am telling myself that there's a greater chance this match will work. Haven't seen any real notable flaws or red flags yet about being damaged goods or being wounded or hung up on an ex. She has a good job, an accountant, is decent looking and our emails have went well. So it is starting off as promising. Body language has told me just as much as verbal language has as to if somebody is interested. I did date somebody who couldn't keep her hands off of me. While I liked that, (who wouldn't?) I didn't feel the same way about her since she was mouthy. As the U2 song, "One", said, 'one love, we get to share it'. This means it helps when two people feel the same way about each other. I will find out soon enough if this is the case. And if it isn't, then as much as I hate to keep starting over, I will just tell myself that I made my attempt and the true winners in life are the participants. As one sign in my math teacher's room said, there are 3 kinds of people- those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. I am thankful to be in the first category again.

Opera and Heavy Metal

I can see plenty in the course of my day, and I wasn't expecting to see both of these genres. I saw somebody singing opera at a Best Buy location, he was the greeter. Somebody at customer service told the story of how one customer asked if it was annoying to have to listen to it all day, but not for me since I like music in its various forms.
   The heavy metal? More of a look from two people on the bus after work, either that or best described as goth due to their dark clothes and hairdo and the spiked wristbands. They didn't ride for long.
   The special of the day was being able to go casual at work if wearing Twins gear, I brought out my jersey I've had since high school. It once belonged to my stepfather. I found it in a box with the tags still on it, he must have bought it and never used it, which is such a waste. This was due to their opening playoff game.
  
 

Hotel Luncheon

I went to a luncheon at a hotel near my workplace today, the vice president was speaking there. It was an event for a candidate for governor. I got out my suit coat and a tie for the event, but I made sure not to have it on at work so I wouldn't have to explain why I was wearing it. Had to ask what I was eating, was told it was chicken, it was more fancy than what I normally see. It led me to mention how I remember being the help at these types of events when in college.
  My boss decided to make it a group event on walking for a contest in the afternoon. Apparently there is a bet between two higher-up managers and the loser wears his opponent's pro football team jersey.
   Made it to the comedy club tonight, though the headliner was relying too much on crowd rap and I'm not a big fan of crowd rap. It often looks like the comic is searching for material.
    I had 2 messages from my online dating account, one of them asked about my blog and I liked the question about it. I said I thought it would be fun to write about her rodeo experiences. No dates set up just yet, but there likely will be soon like this weekend.

Found Clip

I went to the comedy club tonight, and somebody who sat next to me said I had a new clip on the website. It was from when I performed as a last-minute replacement two weeks ago. It is a short clip, when I talk about attending the Lady Gaga concert, but I still liked seeing it. Saw a comic friend tonight, first time in a while, and told him about attending the Texas State Fair in Dallas and a football game at the Cotton Bowl. He asked me what I thought of the Grambling band, I said they were good. He then mentioned the movie 'Drumline', so now I will have to rent it soon.
    I was busy at work for most of the day, and I liked it that way. Sometimes it's just for the first half of the day. Needed a bandage due to a paper cut, I work in an office after all, had to go to the guard desk to find one. Later found out where they were moved to. I'm fine with them moving things as long as they tell us where, and make them fairly easy to find- but this didn't happen here.
    Still thinking about how much fun the weekend was, and how observant I can be, like seeing an older man in front of me at Oktoberfest with a hat on and various pins- one was of Teddy Roosevelt, celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth. The women in the same row had chicken hats on, hard to describe beyond that. And how it was likely a compliment on some level when the comic who followed me called me an 'acid flashback'. This same comic had previously said I was a tough act to follow, which is definitely a compliment. I still believe in imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and when I am zinged I must have been memorable.
   I did tell one of my comic friends about a classmate and ex-friend sending me a friend request on Facebook. I told the story about how we had parted ways in college a little while ago, and what led to it. Can't recall what he recommended about it. I know I had ignored his previous request. This one was prompted by us commenting on the same comment thread, about a junior high science teacher we both had. At this point I could go either way, but lean towards that he leave me alone. It was one of the better decisions I made when we parted ways and I found another roommate for my final year of college, and those people became good friends. I may have called it a 'benchmark' in my life, not sure. It's just hard to be reminded of the way things were. I have spoken with this classmate at a reunion since then, our next one is less than two years away. In many ways I prefer that we talk only at the reunions. I have gotten to know some classmates since then by talking to them at the reunion. I didn't know them well in school, and I like how I'm willing to branch out and turn over a new leaf. So, readers, I'm sure some of you may already know what I will likely end up doing here. You wouldn't think a friend request would be that big of a deal, in terms of the amount of time and energy contemplating it, but it can be a big deal. Some of you may be able to relate to my situation in some form or another.

Poncho

The MC at the comedy show I attended had an outfit on that many people noticed, one comic said it looked like a 'snuggie'. She later said it was a poncho, but it didn't look like rain gear, more like a sweater with no sleeves.
   I made in onstage tonight, and I did jokes about the recent festivals I had attended, saying it may not look like I would let loose at these events but I do. I said if there was a Youtube video from Oktoberfest- and I did find one from the previous year- the dancing fool in it is me. I also did ones about the scooter store- recently got junk mail from them- as well as about getting some D-Con for pest control and the recent baby picture contest (looking dour). Feels good each time how taking the stage and telling jokes is a natural and comfortable thing for me, and how I seem to find the jokes people will laugh at.
    Much of the day was errand running, taking out the trash and recycle, doing dishes, and the laundry. I didn't watch much of the pro football on TV, though I watched my VHS tape of the movie "Abraham Lincoln" from 1930 and fell asleep in the middle of it. Jason Robards is in it as his law partner, William Herndon. Hadn't seen it in a while. Also went to the library to get printouts like for a Dairy Queen coupon, as I don't have my own printer yet. Thankfully I don't need to print something that often. Made it just before closing time after finishing my laundry.

New Ulm Oktoberfest

I went to Oktoberfest in New Ulm, Minnesota, today. I arrived at Ft. Ridgely first, wanting to tour it since I hadn't on my previous visits thinking it was too far away. I had read about it in a book about military forts. It is now part of the state park system, and I had to buy a permit before going into it. Plenty of signs up describing the fort and the Sioux Uprising of 1862, liked the big monument there, an obelisk. Then it was into New Ulm, from a different direction than typical, through Sleepy Eye, so from the west. I made it to the state park near town, Flandrau, but the park employee said the former WWII prison camp was rented out to people and wasn't a museum-type place. I decided to just get pictures of the welcome signs and didn't go any farther into the park. I do change things up on each visit, wanting to do a few different things each time, and seeing the state parks qualifies. I made it to the final Schell's Brewery tour, getting my advance ticket shortly after reaching town. Saw the Glockenspiel show before the brewery tour. Went to see German Park near the middle of town after the tour. I saw a penny on the pavement near the brewery and decided it would be the one I would pitch into the fountain at the park. I like to meditate a little as it is a calm, serene place where it's easier to reflect on things. Usually I am alone at the park, but this time there was a teenage couple there, no big deal to me. Hardly paid attention to them. After that was Turner Hall and their Rathskeller to have a beer. I became a friend of it on Facebook recently.
   The night was capped as usual at the Holiday Inn, I stayed until they had a dance with the costumed Narren people again and I joined in on it. Some probably wondered who the guy was up front having such a good time dancing to and fro, it was me. I enjoy going to this town each year for the festival, as it is good to have fun and feel good. I notice how going to New Orleans made me feel the same way, being able to let loose. Both share a word in their name, and it's like I felt like a new person when I go to these 'new' towns. I had two 'deja vu' experiences, one was meeting a Narren not in full costume who had remembered helping me with some information earlier in the day. The other was somebody from a souvenir ship downtown that moved to the hotel in the evening, he said 'keep on trucking'. seems like a good sentiment to go with. He had asked if I made it to all that I wanted to see, and I had. I enjoy meeting the people there each year, including who was at my table while eating. It was an older couple, and the wife said 'I looked like a writer'. I asked her to explain it, she said 'just the way I seemed to view the world was different from others'. And she wished me well, saying I would do just fine in life, since I was an intelligent person. She spoke of a son-in-law that struggled with some of the same family issues as I had, so I find I am once again not alone. Another saw my ballcap and called out to me, and we spoke for a while about various subjects including baseball. These would be called 'single-serving friends' like in the movie 'Fight Club', but I still enjoy meeting them and telling their story. Liked the polka music there, including the 'Beer Barrel Polka', reminding me of attending some Milwaukee Brewers baseball games over the years. I brought my portable CD player with me and played it right before starting my journey back home, playing 'Alejandro' by Lady Gaga. On the drive there I noticed the water levels in many areas were still high from the recent flooding.
   The main thing I don't enjoy is the drive back, since it is at night. There was a construction detour, normally it means a clear shot on a divided highway but the detour led to 2-lane highways I don't like, since there's less margin for error. But thankfully I made it through fine, it helps to stay focused. Had to stop for gas near the end since I was getting low, didn't want to risk running out when the next station might be a while. I knew I was able to get some Chicago AM radio stations before when driving back, and I was right again. It was WGN and WBBM. On the former, there was a feature about a documentary movie on a diner in an Indiana town. Since I like things Midwestern- and documentaries- I would want to see it sometime. It was also a nice reminder of my time living there. I do my best to recall the positive things about living there, and there were some even if the cost of living is higher than where I am now.

Light Rain

There was some light rain at tonight's football game that I attended. It was during the 3rd quarter, and I decided to go under the bleachers for a while. It had let up by the end of the quarter, so I came out. But the outcome of the game had largely been decided already. The home team lost 34-10 to an 'academy', and was trailing 13-3 at halftime. It seemed appropriate that I chose blue Gatorade as a drink, it reflected my mood. More about that later.
   I did hear from a classmate on Facebook, it did answer some of my questions about the class pictures I had found recently. It looks like we were in the same class in 2nd grade, she confirmed our teacher's name. She has a fairly common first name, and first names only are on this class picture, so I wasn't sure if it was her. It was somebody I had largely forgotten about after switching schools, but thanks to Facebook we are in contact again.
    I did my best to stay busy at work, and in the afternoon my boss said her husband didn't date much for a while like I did. But it still seems to be an unfair comparison, as I said I had grown up in a 'cauldron of verbal abuse' and I seriously doubt that he did. I just hated talking about my dismal social life, explaining why I said I felt blue like the Gatorade when I started thinking about it. I couldn't stop laughing after a colleague said a word that was funny to me, but since it is considered a vulgar phrase by many I am a little ashamed to admit what led to hysterical laughing for a while.