Valley Meadows

I did see the Valley Meadows show at a comedy club tonight, and made it to a movie before it since it was  a late-evening start on the comedy show. Saw 'Descendants', the George Clooney movie that takes place in Hawaii. It would likely be called a 'dramedy' as it was actually meant to be a drama but there was plenty of things that made me laugh. I liked the raw emotion in it, I said it was the most comparable role he had to his time on TV's 'ER'. Of course 'ER' was also considered to be a masterful dramatic series.
   While doing laundry I spoke with a man who wanted to talk about the Vikings game scheduled for the next day, and the player in his final game, Kleinsasser, number 40, a tight end/fullback. Then he spoke of knowing somebody in New Prague, one of the few Jewish people there. He was wearing a hoodie that had a 'NORML' logo on it about reforming  marijuana laws. Of the 2 Amy K's in Minnesota politics, he said he liked Koch over Klobuchar and claims Koch as a facebook friend. Also used the term 'head shop' which I wasn't all that familiar with, but based on his hoodie it made sense as that is where drug paraphenalia is sold.
    Even though I like listening to people tell their stories, I could tell this man wasn't very intelligent. When I spoke of Governor Mark Dayton, he said 'he owns Target' when Dayton is just a department store heir and Target is a stockholder-owned company. This continued with him speaking of baseball, and the St. Paul Saints, encouraging me to attend their games (and I already do regularly) 'because they have Darryl Strawberry'. This was somebody who played just one season for the Saints, and it was back in 1996. So it was old information. Don't know if he belongs in the know-it-all category, but he does seem to have the same traits unfortunately.  

Mobile Post Office

Bought some stamps at a mobile post office, first time I had seen one. Looked really cool, like an RV. I wanted to ask some questions about it, so I could write about it. I was informed it was the only one in the city and it usually stops in one spot for about 10-15 minutes. I had the chance to see it since I had just returned home from work, an early release by 2 hours due to the holiday. So all of this makes sense as to why I hadn't seen it before. Originally I got just a camera phone picture and planned on getting no stamps, but I wanted to get home right away and find my real camera. When I was taking up their time asking questions, I figured it was fair to actually buy a product, and got some Forever stamps from the Chinese (Lunar) New Year. Though it appeared to be the year that will be ending in a month. I noticed it did have a limited list of stamp styles available, but this may be true of other mobile services as well. I of course think of book mobiles while in school, coming from the public library. Another would be food trucks, on the bus on the way to work one morning I saw a Sloppy Guiseppe truck and their website said 'follow it in the metro area'. But I haven't seen it since, and it seemed odd to see it in the morning unless they serve breakfast food as well.
     I did see Iowa's bowl game tonight at a sports bar, it was on ESPN and I don't have cable TV. Don't feel like I would use it enough to justify the cost when I am often out doing various activities. Iowa lost to Oklahoma 31-14 in the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, and it was no surprise as to why. Iowa wasn't getting the stops on defense when needed. I did wear my bowl game shirt and button there that I had ordered online earlier in the month.

Best Buy Visit

I had another day off from work, so after getting more magazines sorted and sent out to recycle I decided to go out at midday and do a search for more Charlie Brown and Snoopy statues. Tried four places, had to leave messages at 2 of them. Another said they no longer had them, had been donated a while back. So I got a picture of their poster of some Snoopys. But it was worth it to try again at the Best Buy fortress of a home office in Richfield. I had found one there before, a Charlie in front of a microphone, since it was close to the glass. The security desk receptionist first said there was three, after finding them- including the Charlie- there was mention of of how there may be more. And there was, I liked sitting down in a chair at one of the pictures. Another made mention of 'Good Will Hunting', my favorite movie. Well worth it to try, especially when these were more elaborate than most others, more than just a statue was on these. It is one of the few places so far where I've seen one from each of the 5-year series. Just needed to wear a visitor badge around my neck, looks like there were plenty of services there like a US Bank location. The others were harder to find, compared to the Charlie from June, since they were farther inside. I knew it was my best chance in a while since I usually don't have days off during the week that much. I have just so many days to use each year, and I often use them when going out of town. I did give out my business card, and decided to claim one as well since they were available. So I send my sincere thanks to Leeann at Best Buy, as she also took the pictures for me as I asked to be in the pictures.
    Made it home from errand running,  which included making another donation at Goodwill, in time to see Jeopardy. Then I resumed going through Sporting News magazines and got more sent to recycle after watching 'Big Bang Theory'. Pleased how much I went through, most of them have been sorted and are no longer outside of the closet. All that is left are ones previously tied up in twine, easier to move those around.   

Pair of Corduroys

I needed to replace a pair of pants for work and used a gift card I got from family over the holiday and got my second pair of corduroys, this one blue, the other was green. Went to a JC Penney to get them. It was a day of errand running since I had the day off from work, also meant going to Bed Bath and Beyond as I wanted to finish up a gift card with just 91 cents left. I had previously been there to get a bookcase with the card. I got a candy bar with the remaining value, surprised they had them there as I just expected towels and sheets and the like. Few other items were in this price range.
    Also made it to Walmart to exchange some apparel meant as a gift but found out the recipient had no use for it. This was the same item I had tried to return on Tuesday. After returning it I took a while in the store trying to find a replacement gift, I will find out soon enough if i got it right this time. I sent 4 more cards, possibly the last for the season, and it meant this set of cards is finished, 22 in all. I wanted to finish up the box and I could think of some more deserving recipients. I got more writer magazines sent to the recycle bin, now I can turn my attention to sending other media there. I had wanted to send all writer magazines there at the same time, but ran out of time over the weekend. The next thing would be the Sporting News issues, since that subscription was largely canceled for me due to the publisher changing their business model. I had way more of those since I hadn't sorted through them in a while and it is published more often, even when it went to bimonthly after being a weekly publication. It helped to move things around in the closet so then I have a better idea where everything is.
   Found out I still had 2 cameras I haven't used in a while, not since I got one from Best Buy earlier this year. So I got a picture of both and then tossed them. It's just as well, when one of them, the Fuji 35 mm, was a booby prize from day one since it was ordered as a service anniversary gift and then arrived when I was on layoff. The other, the Argus digital, didn't work well after dropping it as I had to tape the battery cover to keep it on. I did keep one thing, the strap from the Fuji, as I added it to the case for my current camera. Not only do I like a reminder of what I had previously, albeit a small one, it is a good strap and easier to reach for it when it is bigger than the one it was tied onto.
 Hopefully it will be a while before I'm satisfied with the way things look as it means I will stay motivated to keep doing assessments and throwing things out that I don't need and haven't been using. This included some old, torn posters.
   It went well going onstage tonight, the comic after me said I was really funny even though I said I wish I was making it up. The joke they were referring to was when I spoke of coping with a recent failure. Though I like how comedy is available to me as a way of releasing pain when needed. It was a comic who was opened for Louie Anderson, so they're good, but any compliments about the craft are welcomed as it makes me feel good.
   Drove over to another club in hopes of getting stagetime but there wasn't any,was informed I needed to ask for stagetime on their Facebook page, recent change in procedure. So as expected, I didn't stay long, left after the opener. Got some cold Godfather's pizza from the nearby convenience store that I will have for lunch. I had wondered about it before, how the cold kind was less than half what was under the heat lamp. Since I often wait to eat it until later, it's no big deal getting it cold when it can be microwaved. So I got two, a pepperoni and sausage. For the second straight night I made a wrong turn and ended up at the airport, I just hate being so distracted but I have been this week. What's hard to understand was how I came from a different direction than before, same result.
    When I got home I did ask right away about stagetime by Facebook, will wait to hear more. Easier to do it right away while still fresh in my mind. While on Facebook , I did ask to add a classmate to the class reunion group. Also noticed another classmate in the group, his profile says he's in Australia and may no longer be with who he was dating in college. So I am thinking the chances of him making it to the reunion are not high, when he would need a plane ticket to get there. It's just was well, when we've spoken at just one of the three previous ones. I had a falling out with him as good friends make bad roommates, we haven't talked much since. In fact, the reunion mentioned earlier was the first time since the falling-out. He has friended me on Facebook but I have said no more than once, the lack of mutual respect was hard to forget. I know I am not alone on this one.

Returns and Exchanges

Didn't want to wait in line tonight at returns and exchanges counter, had an apparel gift to return. It was too long of a wait, wanted to get to the comedy club. I tried finding out if they did have what I was looking for, but it was apparently all sold out. So I still don't know what to do. But it likely means getting an alternate gift, not good at getting apparel unless it's for myself, I know what fits me. I know I didn't laugh as much as typical at the club tonight, because of it. I really wanted to take care of business before getting there and was unable to do so, but I also knew when I had limited time it was best to wait when I had more time like having 2 days off this week. The returns counter is busy this time of year anyway. I recall saying many times before how it seemed to be cliche to see the footage on TV the day after Christmas about items being returned, and it could be from any store.
  It did help to see some comedian friends greet me before and after the show. I did share some of my dilemma with them, as it did make me feel a little better. But I think being able to correct it will help even more, as I do like being able to atone right away. And since I have been better able to handle setbacks in recent years, thanks to unloading my anger where it belonged, I do tend to bounce back more quickly than before. Most of it was understanding how I was needlessly torturing myself over missed chances, and I would keep making the same mistake if I spent too much time brooding over it and be unable to see the chances still in front of me. These are opportunities to learn, much like I song I've heard with lyrics about 'heads we win, tails we try again'. I am trying to figure out a way to turn the ordeal into a joke, give me some time and I think I will. Seemed appropriate that I got stuck in the wrong lane when I needed to make a turn to get home after the show, ended up at the airport instead. I just wasn't paying attention, normally I am not that distracted since I know the route real well.

Sherwood Anderson

I like how I'm willing to build upon my knowledge wherever possible. Before sending magazines to recycle I noticed a picture of a historical marker on the cover of one. It was about Sherwood Anderson, a writer, whixh makes sense when it was from a writer magazine. The marker is in his native Ohio, and I did read the Wikipedia article I found which said he influenced Hemingway and Faulkner. Good or bad, like many other writer biographies it was hard to read some of it. But I already know how many writers have had rough lives, and this is often what makes their writings better, by pouring their soul into their craft. In Anderson's case, he abandoned his wife and kids apparently and ran off with somebody else. If I ever end up in this part of Ohio, it would be nice to find the marker. I have been to the biggest cities- Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus- unsure how far it is from any of those. I often describe myself as looking for that niche of being the 'writer who writes about writers' as not only to writers share stories, but they themselves have a story to be told by somebody. Sometimes they tell it themselves, but many times others tell it.
    At the comedy club tonight I saw a smaller crowd than typical but I think the Timberwolves basketball opener had something to do with it, as the game was on TV at the bar. The season finally began after a long labor dispute. One comedian friend said, when I asked if another comic was attending, that he was likely at home watching it. I responded by saying it was a 'manufactured' rivalry between them, since I can tell they are good friends.  

Egg Nog and Pizza

My Christmas dinner at lunchtime consisted of 2 slices of Little Caesar's pizza and some egg nog. It was 2 as it is what was left over from getting some on Thursday, and then eating some more on Friday. It was undoubtedly simple, and fine with me. Then I laid down for a while after reading the first chapter of the Michael Moore book 'Here Comes Trouble' that I had bought on Friday.  Already riveting to me, like how he had to get Navy SEAL protection after his Oscar acceptance speech and doing the movie 'Fahrenheit 9/11' which I saw on the 4th of July in 2004. I chose that day so I could be easily reminded of when I saw it, and seeing one of his movies is a true event for me.
    But of course, I wanted to get more done, so that meant doing the dishes, along with taking out the trash and recycle. I spotted 2 grocery carts nearby and took them back to the store, along with picking up some litter along the way to the recycle bin. Nice how there wasn't many emails waiting for me since I last checked my account 2 days ago, just 20. I tend to get a lower volume over the weekend, and this number is lower than what I get on most weekdays. Another thing I did was send more writer magazines to the recycle bin, since I have done the assessment and have decided to cut back on subscriptions and not renew some of them. I just got started on it, but I like knowing how it frees up space in the closet as it was hard to get the door shut earlier when some media was rubbing against the door and causing some resistance.
    Once I was done with chores I had a date in the evening, we had cheese fondue, first time in a while. We also watched some of the Bears/Packers game on NBC, Packers beat them 35-21. I realized after leaving how I left my cellphone there as it must have slid out of my pocket while sitting or most likely laying down on the couch. Thankfully it hasn't happened in a little while, misplacing the phone that is. I've lucked out on finding it, haven't completely lost this important item yet. First time since the writer convention in Detroit in June. I checked the urge to go back and find it as it was late and I knew I had plans to see my date for lunch on Monday. No need to panic about it when I could live without it for part of one day, when I don't make or take many calls anyway.
     Went to a party on Saturday, I had seen most of the people there before but had a hard time remembering the names of all. It was in the late afternoon and went into the evening. I found out that 'process of elimination' did help on keeping track of who everybody was there. We made it to Cub Foods just 15 minutes before early closure for the holiday to get 2-liter bottles of soda pop and ice for the event. It was odd how there were 2 freezers with ice in them, but one had just four 20-pound bags of ice, the other had much more, including 5-pound bags. The 20-pound bag would have been too much. We ate at a Taco Bell for lunch before doing all of the errand-running on our list.  

Horrible Bosses

Watched the movie 'Horrible Bosses' on DVD today, since I had the day off from work. Hard to find, on my 4th attempt the Redbox in Lilydale had it. Usually it is not that hard to find a movie I want at any kiosk I go to. Already had a poster and shirt from it this summer. They were giving out these items  at the comedy club. I had thought about seeing it earlier, and after finding out Bob Newhart has a cameo I definitely wanted to see it. Just wanted to find a day when I had the time to get it back in one day, since a one-day rental is cheap, just a dollar and change. Actually, one location did have it on blue ray, lot of good that does me. It's what I've learned from life before, sometimes it pays to keep trying. I got it watched and back to the same location in just 6 hours, didn't want to get too busy and forget even though I had until 9pm Saturday to return to avoid more charges.
   It was also an errand-running day. I got a book at Barnes and Noble, 'Here Comes Trouble' by Michael Moore, it was half-price so this made it easier to get. I was ready to say no since it would be more expensive as a hardcover, but then I found some on a table with a half price sticker. Also picked up some stamps, and lucked out how somebody left behind a sheet of 12 so I didn't have to buy them. The stamps are honoring some inventions like the typewriter. I still bought 2 Charlie Brown and Snoopy cards at the post office, one of them had a Linus theme.
   In the evening I made it to a comedy show at the Corner Bar in Minneapolis, there were various skits in it and many of my friends were performing. It was nice to be able to get in for a reduced price.

Tying Shoes on Escalator

I hate how I have to keep tying my shoes, but I like how when there's a sense of urgency I can get it done real quick. This was the case on the escalator on the way to work this morning. I happened to get it done with a few steps to spare. It's all about getting motivated, and this is true of many things in life.
    I had to pause when passing by an eating establishment, but not due to their food, it was a taco place. I did not order any food at all. It was due to the song being played, 'Back on the Chain Gang' by the Pretenders. I think it's the lyric that goes like this: 'found a picture of you, oh, those were the happiest days of my life' that I like. Also mentions the 'wretched life of a lonely heart'. It's a happy and sad song at the same time, it seems to fit my persona since I can be contradictory as well. Or some might say an enigma.
   Unfortunately, another song stands out in my mind. The mailroom man kept 'I'm a Believer' by the Monkees on repeat apparently but I didn't know how to tell him to stop since the door is usually locked.
   Heard from the old friend, they are now in the States, in St. Louis, a city I visit annually. They told me about getting a divorce and how their young son is blind. I didn't know how to respond to that. The friend had heard how I was dating somebody, they seemed to be really interested in hearing about it. I had been told they would be away for 3 years due to their spouse's job, but it was just over a year when I had last heard from them and since then I had a picture of their newborn baby emailed to me.  

Leftover Pasta Lunch

As expected, there was a repeat of the pasta lunch in the breakroom. There wasn't as much left, but even though I arrived a good hour after it was put out I still got plenty. Liked having the little cups of parmesan cheese available. Felt good about getting 5 more cards sent out at lunchtime.
   At the comedy club tonight there was a man from Tennessee who seemed to enjoy heckling the female comics. He did speak of the 'redneck dictionary' and wore a Harley-Davidson hat. I liked seeing the jokes that were told to shut him down. I am still not sure how I would handle a similar situation, since I really haven't had to yet. But I also know the type of comedy I do, deadpanning and often about myself, means it is less likely I would have have to deal with crowdmembers. The oddest thing was how one comic talked to this man after the show. I didn't bother to ask the comic why, and I did not talk to this man at all. This was the same comic I spoke with before the show by the bar as I was getting my drink, for some reason we spoke of $2 bills, how rare they are and the myths/legends about them. Some think they are counterfeit.
    An old friend called and left a message, we are playing phone tag. I knew they had been out of the country for a while, my first question was where they are now. Actually 2 questions, as I was unsure how they got my number, I was thinking they may have acquired it from somebody else, a mutual friend, as they hadn't called me before.

Jeffersons theme song

No mail arrived today, but I wanted to get caught up on sending out Christmas cards. So now I have 4 more ready to be mailed, wanting to get them sent out to those who sent one to me. I hate to admit it was in many ways 'assembly line' style, but I still added a specialized touch to each by looking at what they sent me and making reference to it. I want as many as possible sent out before the holiday, but I'm cutting it close. I was way behind on sending them out. One card was from my dad, another from my aunt, and the other 2 were classmates from high school. Next thing is to send one to a work colleague, now in Chicago. Though I often refer to them as my 'Ohio friend' as that is where they are originally from.
    Heard the lounge singer version of 'The Jeffersons' theme song after the comedy show ended tonight. I know it is called 'Moving on Up' and I know Ja'net duBois sang it first and was on another show, 'Good Times'. The club likes to play this lounge singer, and he has so many versions of songs many people know. But thankfully it is not as annoying as elevator music, since it is fun to hear how he stresses certain words when singing. Sometimes it is just like the original, sometimes it is not. If anyone has told me who the musician is, I don't recall. It was a big deal to me to see nearby stores open late, since usually they have already closed before the show ended. But I had to remind myself how they are open later for holiday shopping.  

What Cockroaches?

I liked the coffee cake at the office today, and one colleague said I could have all of it since it wasn't that popular with others in my department. Don't know why this colleague wanted me to take it away, mentioning cockroaches when I haven't seen any in the office. I said I would handle it at the end of the workday, since I had plenty to do in the final hour, even said 'miles to go before I sleep' in reference to the Robert Frost poem I had read in school. I kept thinking and saying 'Bork Bork Bork', something I often did as a kid. But it was not in reference to Robert Bork, who was nominated for the Supreme Court but not confirmed by the Senate. It sounded so funny to me, and I had to find out why. When I did an online search one of the first hits made mention of the Swedish Chef on 'The Muppets', which made sense to me since I watched the show as a kid.
   One comedian friend was at the club tonight, he had 2 friends there I hadn't seen in a while as well. He claimed it wasn't his 'entourage' though they had been there with him many times before.
   The football game tonight, Steelers at 49ers, was delayed due to a power outage at the stadium. Odd how it was compared to the 'World Series earthquake' of 1989, also in San Francisco. Those really aren't even close to being in the same category.

1968 Exhibit

Saw the 1968 exhibit at the state's main museum in St. Paul earlier today. We saw the screening of a movie from that year first, 'Odd Couple'. I had seen it before, but it had been a while, and on cable. Liked having the chance to see it on a big screen. My dad likes Walter Matthau, who played Oscar, if due to this role it would be since he plays an everyman in it. The character is more likeable than Felix, the fussy one, played by Jack Lemmon. I know he liked to say 'Oscar Madison' whenever we were drinking directly out of the milk carton, as that was the slob roommate's name. It was just as likely in reference to the TV show, which was done later and lasted 5 seasons in the 1970s, but it had different actors- Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. We finished the actual exhibit just minutes before it was closing for the day. It brought back many memories from what I read in history books, like the iconic photos from the Vietnam war, especially the Tet offensive. There was also the one from the medals stand at the Olympic Games in Mexico City. Some events weren't in any of the history books I had read. Nice to see some Charlie Brown and Snoopy items in it. There was also times when I mentioned TV shows and movies covering this era, like a special episode of the 'Jeffersons' which offered up newspaper headlines when going back to that year. I also mentioned 'Forrest Gump'. We had thought of seeing the 150 exhibit again, since it closes soon, but it meant going with priority. It was nice how the movie screening was included with the price of admission.

Gershwin Play

Went to see the Gershwin play in the evening in downtown St. Paul. I wanted to be well-prepared for it, so it meant not just a good outfit but also getting a haircut, it had been a while. A long wait at the place, Sport Clips, but they gave me a few dollars off for waiting. It was hard to find a place to eat since it was Saturday evening, and many sit-down restaurants had a long wait for a table. So I finally went to a Chicago-themed place close to where I do my laundry, makes a world of difference when we didn't have to wait to get a table and got to order right away and get food right away. We made it to the theater with about 5 minutes to spare after getting parked nearby. I like plays with music in them, and this had plenty of it. The narrator was an actor playing Gershwin, so he was telling his own story. So in many ways it reminded me of seeing the play about Clarence Darrow earlier this year, at the same venue, Park Square Theater. Liked hearing so many different instruments onstage, like the string bass and the drummer especially. The suits and hats reminded me of the Blues Brothers, as well as Leonard Cohen. Surprised to hear them playing the 'Flintstones' theme song, but it must have been influenced by Gershwin somehow. Also liked mention of Cole Porter, he was another musician from this era I was familiar with.
    Already did the dishes and took out the trash and recycle when I went out to do the laundry. So all I have left for errand running this weekend is grocery shopping, so I'm in good shape.  

MNDOT Charlie

I had a half day at work, done around lunchtime. After finding where another Charlie Brown statue is , at a MNDOT facility, I made it home to watch most of 'Jeopardy'. Then I got started on going through online articles I had printed, getting motivated after finding a 2-for-1 museum coupon. Some of these documents I hadn't seen in a while, but I was thankful to find many of them. Some of them dated back to my time in suburban Chicago. it meant quite a bit of shredding, and I've had to empty my trash can more than once because of it. Many articles are now in a corresponding envelope, to make it easier to find them by category in case I want to sort them again later. It started feeling familiar after a while, thinking I had done this before during a cleanup. I had. Because of the category names I used. So I looked through other boxes and found these similar envelopes full of various online articles, and some consolidation and shufflign was done. It helps to be efficient and well organized if at all possible. Kind of funny, one advice article I found was about clutter, which I am trying to eliminate. No surprise as to what articles are most popular for me to print, some are advice, some are Wikipedia articles, some are song lyrics. I kept hearing a neighbor kid singing 'Jingle Bells', it was annoying.

Young Adult

I saw the movie 'Young Adult' at the Uptown theater in Minneapolis earlier today. It was nice being able to get there for an early showing, since I had the day off from work. The story was good, something I understood well and was fairly familiar since it was Midwestern and took place in a small town. It was definitely a farce, but I didn't mind at all. I had seen some previous Charlize Theron movies, like 'North Country', about the Minnesota miners, and 'Sleepwalking', an arthouse movie. As usual, music captivates me. Two songs in particular stood out for me, one was due to it being by a Minnesota band. This was 'Achin to Be' by the Replacements. I knew very little about this band before moving here nearly 8 years ago, but some of the local radio stations would still play them and other local bands like Husker Du and Gear Daddies. The other was played during the introduction, 'Concept' by Teenage Fanclub. I ended up listening to both on Youtube. I also picked up a poster since there were some available at the theater. I had seen some previous movies done by Jason Reitman (director) and Diablo Cody (writer) like 'Juno' and 'Up in the Air'. Those were no doubt compelling. I like how Reitman is willing to handle social issues, he does it well.
   I did stay in for much of the day and got more cleanup done around the home, including shredding more junkmail or obsolete mail. I like keeping some billing statements for my own personal records, but after a while it is a good idea to free up space. So my trash can is definitely full because I was busy for a while.

Merkinball

As usual, I thought of music tonight. Tried to find 'Merkinball' by Pearl Jam on Youtube the night before and it didn't seem to be the one. So I told myself to get out my own CD and play it, and I did, after getting back from the comedy club tonight. But 4 other songs were on my mind as well. 'Christmas Canon' by Trans Siberian Orchestra, along with 'Miss Sarajevo' by Passengers (U2 and Pavarotti). Listened to them on Youtube before leaving for the show. The former is played a lot this time of year, I like it better than most Christmas songs and even saw this music act in concert at the Target Center in Minneapolis a few years back. The latter, not sure why I was thinking of it. But it really gets me emotional, like few songs can. All I need to see is the mental picture from the video where the beauty pageant contestants hold up a banner that says 'Don't let them kill us'. Since the song was done at the height of the Bosnian war. When driving from one show to another, I heard 'Back on The Chain Gang' by the Pretenders, saw them in concert twice when I lived in suburban Chicago. It's a fairly happy song, and that's why I like it. After the show it was 'I'm Yours' by Jason Mraz, a nice reminder of starting in comedy as it was a popular song 3 years ago.
    I liked trying some new jokes when onstage, which was at the second show but not the first. I got a drink ticket from the show runner, and was told that I should still tip the server. So I said I was fine with ordering more, and it was a half order of chicken nachos. It was way more than I expected, as with nachos I was used to what is seen at baseball stadiums. It's a little plastic container with the cheese and peppers, this was a much larger plate.  

Not a Rudolph Figurine

I needed razors and shave cream so I stopped at Walgreen to get them before going to the comedy club tonight. iIthought about also getting a 'Rudolph the red nosed reindeer' but 'buyer beware' is good advice. Since I read the package and it appeared to be like a Chia pet- add water and it gets bigger. I was expecting it to be a figurine. I have no use for a Chia pet so I just bought what I really needed and left. I have a few other Rudolph items, since I once worked for Montgomery Ward and one of their employees created the character.
   Saw a short video online about female infants being killed en masse in India, leading to many towns having few if any women since 'dowries' are still common practice despite being outlawed a while ago. It is hard to know what to say about it. I know many countries value men more than women, explaining why women's rights do not exist in some countries. What I normally say about what happens in other nations- if it differs greatly from what happens here- is three things. It tends to cover most issues. Not every country is like America, likes America, and not every country wants to be like America. I don't know if it's a case of the journalist trying to tell us how we have it good here, or if they're trying to get things changed there.

  

Willing to Help Out

My department is small, and we had 2 people out today using up vacation days before year-end. So it was busier than typical, which is fine with me as the day goes more quickly when I'm filling in for others. Though I was so busy I didn't remind myself right away to get a message sent to my student in the company's mentoring program, and I apologized in advance for that. May need to make it part of my routine for the end of the week before leaving the office, like watering my plant. It is one thing I've said related to teamwork for quite a while: I'm willing to help out any way I can. Many lessons learned about teamwork go back to being on ym high school's football team.
    At the comedy club tonight, I saw a comedian friend for the first time in while. She was in town from California, we hugged. I may be getting a Facebook invite soon for one of their shows. Unsure how long they will be in town, but it appears to be more than just a few days. I had to wait to say hello to them as many others wanted to do the same. I know well enough to wait, and there's no problem finding others to talk to when I know a decent number of people at the club.

Writer Magazines

I have 4 writer magazines currently and I don't read them enough. I am trying to evaluate which ones to keep, and it means going down to 1 subscription or maybe 2. All I have currently decided is to keep at least 1 of them, and it means sending in a subscription renewal for one year, as the form recently arrived and it currently runs through May. Since I want more writing gigs, I decided to get registered on their database. Getting a regular message should help on ideas. This one is published more often as a magazine, each month, the other 3 I have are just published 6-8 times a year. While the cost may not be enough per year, I still think of what's practical and I have done this in many other areas of my life in the past year. It has meant sending some things to a donation bin, be it clothes or other household items, since I didn't use them enough for whatever reason. Sometimes I had 2 similar items, wasn't using either much, so going down to one meant I got more use out of what was left. In many ways, it is long overdue, but I know why it wasn'r done before. There usually was something much more fun to do than tedious evaluations.
    Saturday was a notable day, as I went to to American Swedish Insititute in Minneapolis with my date. I recall reading about it in a AAA Tourbook when I was a kid, but my mom and stepdad on previous visits for Twins baseball games had no interest in museums so I didn't get to go. For lunch we ate at Popeye's Chicken in Uptown, I like their Cajun style chicken and it is one of the few locations in the area. It was easier to find them when I lived in suburban Chicago, it was one of many chicken places there along with Kentucky Fried Chicken and Brown's. Then in the afternoon it was on to a Lutheran Church near the Metrodome for the Lucia festival. It includes a girl portraying St. Lucia, with fake candles on her head. There was also 'star boys' as part of the choir, their hats looked like dunce caps or sorcerer hats. My date thought my observation was amusing. I didn't recognize many of the songs for the season, but I did grow up in a different church besides Lutheran.
   In the evening after going back to walk the dog we went back to Minneapolis to see the Holidazzle Parade, my first-ever time there. It was a big crowd, we waited for hot cider for a while at a nearby Caribou Coffee shop. Many of the floats were inspired by children's stories like 'Wizard of Oz'. I got a few pictures there. After the event we took the train back and ate at the Ruby Tuesday at Mall of America, first time eating at this restaurant.
  Sunday morning and early afternoon included watching a baseball documentary, 'Baseball in the 1980s', produced by Sporting News magazine. When I got back on the road I did the typical errand running, but also called ny college roommate who lives in Pennsylvania. He said he is applying for a job in Poland, I know he currently works at a super collider facility. Sharp guy, no doubt, wish I knew as much about science. It may work out next year for seeing him at a holiday gathering since he tells me his sister moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for a job at a casino, which is a days drive for me. He isn't back in the Midwest much. I also made it to Alary's Bar in downtown St. Paul, the Bears bar, to watch the Bears-Broncos game. Bears lost 13-10 in overtime despite leading by 10 with just over 2 minutes to play in regulation. It was scoreless at the half. Notable here was somebody at my table offering me beer, he wanted to finish the pitcher. Was told it was Miller Lite, I said I was fine with drinking it once a cup arrived, and after a few minutes one did.
   As we all know, I think about music often. Though at times it is hard to figure why I think of some songs in particular, for some reason a certain word will trigger a memory of it. This included 'Coin-Operated Boy', probably due to feeding a parking meter. The other was 'I'll Fly Away', though I understood the reasons better with this one. I showed my date the funeral card from a coworker who had died of cancer in 2008. It is the reason I give for why I got into comedy, since I bought a comedy club gift certificate at his benefit event. This song was played at the funeral, sounds like a common one since it was also played at Harmon Killebrew's.
  

Passport Filed

I got my passport renewal mailed today, at lunchtime, after getting copies made of all items sent. One colleague said she wasn't living vicariously through me, just excited for who I'm dating. It may well become a running joke. Along with her saying she wanted me to gush over pictures of her young son, who did look cool in a 'Gatsby hat'. Must be from the novel 'Great Gatsby'. My dad has one of those hats.
     It was odd how the woman at the post office said I had 5 years to renew passports after they expire, when an expired one does me no good while traveling. Since I may be attending a wedding in a foreign country next year I have the sense of urgency to get it renewed right away, when it expires in a month. This 5-year thing I think is in reference to being able to renew by mail, after that apparently an entirely new application is needed and on my original application I sent in every form they asked for to prove my identity. Except for 2, military records and marriage certificate. Haven't done either yet.
   On my date tonight we watched another 'Little House' episode on DVD, called 'in the big inning' as it depicted a baseball game between Walnut Grove and Sleepy Eye. It was fun to see such an episode, and like many things I looked at it from a historical perspective and said they did get the costumes correct apparently. The hats would be what were called 'Cap Anson' style, as they were cylinder shaped. The Pittsburgh Pirates had these kind for a while, into the 1980s. Though they were named for Cap Anson, a player who was with the Chicago club, now known as the Cubs.
    

City By The Lake

I like how I'm not falling victim to a term I coined, the 'Bear Bryant Syndrome'. I read it in a sports magazine how every Alabama football coach gets fired because he isn't Bear Bryant. Thankfully this isn't happening in my own life, because I'm sure most people would hate knowing they can't get a fair shake since they replaced a successful person, dare I say 'legend' when that term is used way too often. I thought of this in particular when I go into work today to do the holiday dinner, and the 'facility czar' wants to eat with me, the same man who was part of the railroad yard tour this week. He replaced a popular woman, and since he took over I don't think I've mentioned his forerunner. He's an ex-New Yorker that has a Jets lanyard at the office. I had spoken of my visits to NYC, though I think he hasn't lived there in a while.
   Some would think it was odd how I go into work on my day off for the dinner, but it's better food than what I normally eat, like soup for lunch or TV dinners in the evening. I needed to get out and do things anyway after doing more sorting in boxes I hadn't looked at in a while. I have freed up 2 copy paper boxes by moving things around, I think I just became more efficient on how I used the space. And I used the paper shredder to get rid of some of it. Though one thing may not have been good at all, my TV antenna bent when I was doing all of this so I may have to replace it.
   I got things going on renewing my passport today by completing the form and getting the necessary photos. When I want copies of the forms I am sending in, I realized how it was best to wait a day to send it, especially since I didn't have much time left before the end of the day. Since it is being sent to a PO box, I think couriers besides the Postal Service may not be a good fit since I want to be able to track it and some of those don't send to PO boxes.
    This evening I listened to some music on Youtube, starting with 'Tonight Tonight' by Smashing Pumpkins, moving onto 'Bad Reputation' by Freedy Johnston. Then I thought of 'This Town' by OAR, and found a live version from Chicago. Finally it was 'Sing' by Travis, a reminder of living in suburban Chicago as it was a song i heard often in the summer of 2001 when I was doing a big cleanup that I called 'Camp Aja' since it was inspired by my former boss and mentor being away in India on business for a while. It is proof of how I still very much have an affinity for Chicago, especially when the first song is by a group from that city and one lyric in the song refers to it, 'The City By the Lake'. There will likely always be a special place in my heart for what Carl Sandburg called the 'City of Big Shoulders'. In addition, I saw the band Travis in concert when I as living there, in 2003 as I recall, in a theater on the North Side.

Alabama and Green Day

After getting stagetime at a club tonight, I decided to get a small Godfather's pizza nearby. It was at a convenience store near the interstate on-ramp. I  like their pizza, a reminder of growing up in Iowa. Must be the buttery crust that makes it taste good, but the commercials were also fun, having an actor dressed up in a gangster costume as a knockoff from 'the Godfather' movies.
   I liked the drive home, since it was nearly deserted on the highways. The show finished late, after midnight, so of course the traffic would be diminished at that time. Two songs I heard on the radio stood out: 'Mountain Music' by Alabama, and 'Longview' by Green Day. I recall doing a Facebook posting before about how I heard 2 songs on my radio and how they were way different but both fit who I am. This is true once again, as one is country music and the other alternative music. We all can have different sides to ourselves, and my tastes in music tends to prove it well.
    It was tough to get to the club on time since I was attending a show at another club across town. I ended up leaving shortly after the show closer began in order to make it there as early as possible. Though there was a traffic delay on the interstate so I didn't make it as quickly as I would have liked. Since I have the next day off I didn't mind being out late. I tried some new jokes, same as on Tuesday, but it seemed to flow better on the previous day, unsure why unless I didn't give myself as much time to be mentally prepared before going onstage. I know well enough how it's best to find an 'inner sanctum' where I see that I have my material down cold so I don't get stuck since I no longer rely on notes. Then again, we are all our own worst critics and I may not have done as bad as I thought. Hard to say, some of my friends said I did fine.

Railroad Yard

I did a railroad yard tour after work, fun to go up into one of the locomotives. Still made it in time to go onstage at the comedy club tonight, but was home just long enough to get my car after getting off the bus. Saw a girl on the bus who was pretty, but didn't smile. As that one song goes, she'd be prettier if she smiled once in a while. 'Everything's going to be all right, rockabye'. Saw a message on Facebook about some classmates being MIA- missing in action- for the reunion next year. I knew 2 of them, sort of. One of them is not on Facebook due to being a judge. The other is a Facebook friend, but I don't hear from him much. So I forwarded on what I knew about both. I said I would email the judge to let him know and see if he's fine with his information- the email address- being shared with the event coordinator.
    In many ways, doing the railroad yard tour was also for my dad, as he is really knowledgeable about trains. I spoke of him more than once during the tour as I was doing it 'by proxy'. At the start of the tour, we were given hard hats and safety glasses and orange vests. The tour guide apparently had met somebody from our office at a company volunteer event in the community. I liked how even there, one sees a sense of humor. Inside, where equipment can be worked on, I saw a picture put up as a joke. It showed 3 labrador dogs as the setup, golden chocolate and black. Then the punchline was 'meth lab'. A crazy dog. The tour guide also had a joke on his hard hat, it was labeled 'Mr. Disappointment', apparently the nickname his colleagues gave him. Outside, we got to climb aboard a locomotive, and the engineer did operate it for us. We were going just 10mph, the spped limit in the yard, and just a little ways ahead along with a little way behind, just to get the effect. I signed up for it, knowing this kind of tour doesn't come around too often. It meant leaving work 30 minutes before the end of my sihft, but I will gladly make up the time. The facility was a just a few miles away from where I work, a Canadian Pacific line. There was a picture on the wall in the conference room, where the tour began, with Milwaukee Road and Soo Line logos, those were the former operators of the line and the yard.  

Ford Escorts

Heard a rap song on the radio tonight after leaving the comedy club that mentioned Ford Escorts. Something about comparing somebody to the car, saying they don't make them that way anymore. My family had a Ford Escort station wagon. I like how I get many of the pop culture references in rap, and my hat is off to them for their clever wordsmithing. I sent more miles put into a frequent flyer account, as I got enough points from answering online surveys for 500 miles. In the past year, actually just since may, I have added over 5,000 miles to the account just from the surveys. Usually it means flying a lot to get this many miles. Before long I will have enough to be eligible for a free trip, maybe after just 500 more. Though I need to wait at least a month since there are rules about how often to have the points converted. Though I have been more aggressive about getting miles added since May due to the rules changing, where I got a notice saying I can add miles more often. I largely forgot about it before then, and noticed I had over $100 in 'survey money' there that I wanted to have converted. Who knows how much of it 'expired' due to lack of use.

Ramsey Home and Muppets

On Saturday I had another date, it was touring the Ramsey Home in St. Paul. Nice tour, they had cookies available that had just been baked in the oven there. I liked getting a postcard and a Christmas tree ornament, it was Santa with snowshoes on.
   We had thought about seeing the Holidazzle parade in Minneapolis in the evening, the Ramsey tour was in the afternoon, but the snow was falling so we decided to stay nearby and saw a movie in Eagan, 'The Muppets'. I said I was fine as long as it was replaced with another event. Hopefully we can still make it there during the season.
    I liked seeing this Muppet movie, word of mouth from comedian friends helped who had posted on Facebook. I liked how some was borrowed from the original movie in 1979, but not too much. Kermit did the same song in both on his banjo, 'Rainbow Connection'. That movie was what got me started on liking road movies. I liked Animal a lot as he was going crazy on the drums as usual. Another scene seemed to be borrowed from it, one where I saw an old-school VW Beetle. It reminded me of when they traded cars and got a Studebaker, when they smashed a fly right in the middle of the price where Kermit said 'you owe us a nickel' as the salesman said he just gave $12 for trade-ins.
   It wasn't easy getting to the theater, as I did slide a little after being at a stop sign but I wasn't going fast and no other cars were around so I was able to get it corrected without much fanfare. After the movie we did finish watching my DVD of the Charlie Brown Halloween special, 'Great Pumpkin'. We actually just watched the interview feature about the making of it and the 'Magic' feature where Charlie got to kick the ball since he was invisible. We had seen 'Great Pumpkin' when it was aired on TV right before the holiday. I like how there is more on DVD copies than VHS, special features are nice.
   Bowl game pairings were announced tonight. Iowa is playing Oklahoma in the Insight Bowl on December 30, in Tempe, Arizona, on ESPN. I had seen 2 games there in 2005, and this is the same bowl Iowa played in last year but a different opponent. It will mean ordering a button and shirt soon from the 'Hawk Shop', and it looks like they are already available. But I want to see a more detailed picture of it before ordering, as I like having the shirt where the helmets of both teams are on it. I have plenty of bowl game shirts and buttons, even a few pennants. I like being able to order online as I am not always able to make it back to Iowa over the holiday and buy these items in a store in Des Moines.

Not The 3 Little Pigs

On the bus tonight it was entertaining to see 3 little kids interacting with themselves, and others. I quickly learned their names as I heard them enough, even though the bus ride isn't all that long, just over 20 minutes. There was one girl, CC, and 2 boys, Brian and Julian. Eventually the dad, who had a seat a row in front of them, came back and had one of them sit on his lap. I guess he wanted to keep an eye on them, and this way it was easier to do so. I don't blame him, but with 3 kids, all around age 5-7 I would estimate, he had his hands full.
    Before boarding the bus this morning I liked seeing a girl applying mascara, I didn't think she would have enough time but she did. She had a St. Kate's water bottle, so that may have been the school she attended. After boarding I saw the same man I had seen before, he had a bag with a Presidential seal on it, related to Clinton. He said he got it from a friend who had been to a conference in D.C. I had I had visited there 4 times and would like to go back, and I do know how it's good for conventions.
    At lunchtime I liked seeing a young man with his son, the man was wearing a 'Fight Club' shirt. I thought about saying 'Fight Club!' as I also liked the movie. Proving how I like the movie is how I have a framed poster and a small wall hanging. The latter item has the rules on it, and of course the first two rules are the same. I am reminded of how my dad lked Brad Pitt in it, and he kept saying 'Fight Club' before I saw it with him. He was visiting me in suburban Chicago then. He didn't understand all of the jokes in it, though I did as it was satirizing many things, especially making fun of consumerism.
  I had a date tonight, after dinner we watched a movie, 'Princess Diaries'. I liked how the main character was really sarcastic at times. Good dinner, we had tenderloin.  

Another 40 Minutes

This time the 40 minutes were at work, for a meeting that a colleague called a 'waste of time'. I didn't like how many of us were left standing, not enough chairs. But it was due to them not putting enough out, which can be done if they move the tables out. And 2 of the 3 exits were blocked. This is something where I said it was a likely fire marshal violation, but I knew well enough not to say much as i know whistleblowers aren't well protected even though they should be. I am still surprised how many inept people are able to keep their jobs, as this shouldn't be happening at all but it's a chonic problem. Didn't have it for a while, then it came back. Makes no sense to me.
    One positive thing about the even was hearing about a train tour at another office next week. When the senior leader said just 4 were signed up, I decided to get signed up right after the meeting. These kinds of tours don't happen too often. I of course will have my dad in mind, since he loves railroads. It reminded me of making it to a stop on a holiday train tour when I lived in suburban Chicago. It was at a yard with a big switch tower, and I liked going up in the tower to see what it looked like. It was a fundraiser for the food banks, and it meant sending donations of canned goods while singers were performing on the train.
    In the evening I went to a potluck event, I brought some Lay's BBQ potato chips and some small pumpkin cupcakes. Though the most popular thing was the Pizza Hut pizza ordered by the event coordinator. I said I had delivered for them one summer in college, though I didn't order from them much at all. I had some of their pizza before, as every so often there was a 'mistake pizza' put in the back.

40 Minutes at School

I did the Roosevelt advisory program earlier today, first time I was on my own. There were 15 students on the attendance list, 4 did not show up at all and 3 did after I started taking attendance. And I waited a good 4 minutes after the bell rang. I knew it would be hard to do, since I hadn't done anything like it before. It was nice to see some participation, but not much was there. It may mean deciding to 'be there' for those who are interested. It is a college prep program, I did my best to get them started by sharing my own college experiences. It will mean getting pointers from my group as to what may work more effectively when I venture out again. When one student in the class spoke of the movie 'White Men Can't Jump' I reminded
them how it was at theaters when I was in high school. Sounds like in some cases how little has changed in high school, at least the choosing a college part. One student said it still came down to the money, as it can be hard to afford. I am thankful I attended when I did, as I don't know if I could afford college now. The tuition has at least doubled since then. I knew well enough not to push them too much. One student showed up before the others, saying she was sent there for study hall and had permission to study in the back. When she found out I had majored in history she asked if I had read 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', I had read very little of it. For some reason I was reminded of how one teacher in high school had us all try our luck at being the teacher for a few minutes to see how well we could handle it. This was a science class, and this session was held in a science room so some continuity. I didn't do well then, but I didn't like many of those in the class. I tried to give a lesson about Wegener and continental drift, and when I got stuck I just spoke on John Wayne and some got confused and though I said 'John Dane' as Dane was the name of one classmate.  
    At the comedy club tonight I saw 2 big plastic barrels for food bank collections, one comedian friend had sent a Facebook message about it but I was too busy to read it closely before getting to the club tonight. One performer I had seen before, and she spoke of doing vaudeville, I was unfamiliar with what venues had vaudeville in this area.

Diabetes Panelists

Went to a diabetes panelist event in the afternoon at my workplace, it helped that a senior leader sent a special email encouraging us to attend. I knew him already, so the rapport helped. Ended up winning 2 gift cards, it was a 'Price is Right' theme. The first one was for Subway sandwiches, the second was an Apple I-tunes card. I got the second as I was the winner of the 'showcase showdown', guessing the calorie total and being closest without going over. But I don't have an I-tunes account, so I will likely give it to a friend that can use it more than me.
    This means I now have a more positive memory of this game show, I told myself. Since my main memory previously of 'TPIR' is watching it when I was unemployed after finishing college. Since it's a daytime show, though I have seen a few primetime specials since Drew Carey took over as host when Bob Barker retired.
   At the comedy club tonight, I was waiting outside for a few minutes before the show, wanting to finish a Dairy Queen Blizzard first. I knew the pumpkin pie flavor may be going away soon so I wanted to get it before the end of the month. I got a shout out from one comic, the 'show runner', kind of nice to get those as it means he can hear me all the way in the back. Liked his 'fainting in the bathroom' joke, about being checked on a lot more than necessary when back for family gatherings.

Cyber Monday

As part of Cyber Monday, I ordered 2 gift cards as it was through my employer's reward program. Much like before, I decide to go with the staples of life: food and clothing. One card is a clothing store, this time Kohl's. The other a restaurant, an Italian place. Every so often I need to replace outfits for the office, so one must think of needs besides jsut food. Though I like how there are many options available, a good way to check out many different stores. I try not to duplicate my choices too much, so it helps to keep the forms I printed after ordering to know the history.
   Also ordered a plane ticket for some travel next year. I have 2 frequent flyer accounts, I like using both of them every so often especially when one of the airlines still has expiring miles so it means flying with them at least once every 18 months to keep the miles.
   I enjoyed the gingerbread cookies sent with me, as did my coworkers. I put some out early on, then the other half later in the day. Unsure what it means when one cookie, a heart, broke as I was getting them out. Don't know if i ever had one of those before. It was in three pieces. And I put it back together before eating it. If it was some other shape of cookie, I would have thought nothing of it at all.
    At the comedy club I had hoped to see a friend so I could ask him about his upcoming schedule in a rap duo, but he wasn't there.

Four More Bags

I sent 4 more bags to the recycle bin as I accomplished plenty this weekend on cleaning up and getting some magazines and newsprint moved out. Much like on Saturday, I didn't go out much. It was just to the recycle bin and to the convenience store, and I waited until lunchtime since I had a candy bar for breakfast. Then I had a date in the evening, we watched a Charlie Brown special on DVD. There was a second special on the Thanksgiving DVD that we hadn't watched yet, the one from the American history series about the Mayflower crossing the Atlantic. It is usually shown right after the well-known Turkey Day special each year. I liked finding some things due to the cleanup, like a political cartoon in reference to the Charlie Brown and Snoopy statues. It was about the public works crew not doing their job. It was nice to get pizza at the Little Caesars nearby.
   The other thing in common with Saturday was avoiding the electronics as much as possible, so I didn't know things like football scores today as well. I mainly knew about the tentative agreement to end the NBA lockout due to logging on to my computer to check email. I didn't mind doing the 'hermit weekend' but I was surprised how I hadn't done the sorting of media in a while. Based on the newspaper dates, I hadn't done it in two years!

Filling Boxes

I had 10 boxes that once held copy paper and I brought them home from the office. The plan was to fill them at some point to get my home better organized. I decided that 'someday' would be today. It has been effective so far, where most everything is now in a bag or box. All of the boxes are being used now. And I have filled up 5 tote bags already with magazines and newspaper and sent them to a recycle bin. Haven't been out much today, just to go to the recycle bin and to get dinner at a convenience store, Superamerica. It helped that I had food available for breakfast and lunch, granola bars and a TV dinner, so I didn't have to go anywhere for those meals. I like how it should be easier to find things now, especially when I decided to label the boxes, be it game programs or magazines. I've done big cleanups before, and know what works- being committed to it. This meant keeping the radio and TV shut off, and not checking email until late in the evening once I was satisfied with what was accomplished for the day. So I am largely unaware of any big news stories of the day, but I can find out later on of course.  

Camcorders- or Video Cameras

Early on 'Black Friday' I got a camcorder at a Kohl's, after finding out the tickets were already gone at a Best Buy. It will be nice to have it for filming things like being onstage doing comedy. After seeing a TV ad for one under $100 I was interested. I still like the term 'video camera' that I grew up with though I know 'camcorder' is a more common term now to describe them. This is likely due to these devices doing more than they had, and of course being downsized. In the 1980s they were big, fitting on the shoulder, like what TV crews have. But they are much smaller now, mine fits into my hand. I was very businesslike about it, wanting to get in and out since I am normally not at a store at that hour. And it meant taking care of ym date, as there was a small crowd right after the doors opened. This was why we just looked around at the nearby Walmart to see what DVDs they had, but didn't buy anything, as the checkout lines were too long.
   In the morning we did go back and I got a DVD of a Charlie Brown special, one I already had on VHS but the updated version has more bonus features so it's worth it, the one where Patty is a figure skater. Also got a memory card for the video camera.
   I helped with making the cookie dough, for gingerbread cookies, and was entrusted with walking the dog by myself while lunch was being prepared, a late lunch. We watched the Iowa football game at Nebraska on ABC, Iowa lost 20-7 but is 7-5 and will likely go to a bowl game. Iowa wasn't moving the ball on offense and not getting the stops on defense when needed, no surprise why they lost. We did watch some of the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on DVD after the game, had more time for it then.

A Turkey Day First

This is a first for me, a Thanksgiving where I'm not traveling to Iowa to see family. I have looked back a little to some memorable ones when I was a kid, like when we went to Lineville, Iowa, to see an uncle of my dad's, Harry Shelburg and his wife Jo. He owned an auto parts store in this town named for being on the Iowa-Missouri border. I recall Dad saying 'Kaiser-Frazer' upon arrival at their farm property, thinking he meant a Corvair. I later found out it was a different type of car. I also recall seeing a little dog inside and said 'it needs a litterbox'. Unsure if we went more than once there, but one time definitely was when NBC-TV personality Ahmad Rashad proposed during a Thankgsiving football broadcast to the actress who played Mrs. Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show'.
    Another first was watching much of the Macy's Parade from New York, usually I am en route and don't get to see it. There were plenty of balloons of course, but patriotic things I hadn't seen before. But Memorial Day or July 4th parades don't get the same TV coverage, so in some respects it made sense to me. Liked seeing the Snoopy balloon of course, but didn't see Bart Simpson. After it we watched the dog show, I had seen this one fairly often before and liked being able to recognize many breeds since some are in various TV shows and movies. Before leaving for a dinner at her friend's place I asked that we switch over to the first game, Packers-Lions, Packers were winning big, just wanted to know the score. I liked meeting some of these members of the 'adopted family' she has, at least talking to them at length unlike before. They have 2 sons, the younger one is autistic. The parents majored in history, so I liked that, saw plenty of their books there like Gore Vidal's novel about Aaron Burr. He was in the Marines, and had a certificate from reaching to Equator. We made it back to her place to walk the dog and watch a new Charlie Brown special, we can watch the ones about Thanksgiving later as I just acquired a DVD copy.

   

Tired But Not Grumpy

 It was a 2-show night for comedy, an earlier show still happened but it wasn't open-mic. I didn't mind it at all, as I still saw a good show and some of my friends. One comic, the headliner, even did a memorable joke about the drinking age and military service, calling it the 'Miller Genuine Draft'. The feature comic did one about having dinner at a convenience store and he stands out to me when I attended his Facebook wedding, the most fun I've had at a wedding since it wasn't the typical ceremony. I'm getting used to some, like this comic, saying they recognize my voice, knowing what jokes I laugh at. Didn't know I could be heard so well, or that it was so distinct.
     I was onstage at the later show, second one on after the MC. I had meant to go there before, but with a late start I didn't as I usually have work the next day. But when stage time is offered, and no work the next day due to the holiday, I wanted to make the effort to get there. It was well worth it as I liked trying out some new material, and it still went well despite getting stuck in the middle of the set due to voice problems. I know by now how a drink helps keep the voice fresh when it is real active, and I had spoken with somebody I hadn't seen in a while at length before the show. Liked one joke about the holiday, how somebody said they prefer being with their friends over family as they cook better and don't judge them. Sad but true to many. I had a feeling at the show I haven't had in a while, that one about 'how right I was' to do something, in this case get into comedy. Since my circle of friends is derived from it. Means the world to me when one of them wanted to hug me, I obliged. Same is true with getting 'Happy Thanksgiving' wishes as I was leaving. I think the last time I truly can recall this feeling was on a New Years Eve over a decade ago, capping my first full year in suburban Chicago after leaving Iowa, again in a bar.
     A notable thing while leaving work to catch the bus I saw 4 boys playing hackey sack, which was unusual. But I still liked seeing it. They happened to be near the door as I was leaving. I recall some of my classmates liking that game.

A No-Go

My boss was absent today, so the 1-on-1 meeting was a no-go. One colleague thought I was up to no good since I was smiling around her, I thought it was a good thing to smile. But I don't know this colleague all that well. No big deal on the meeting, it will likely happen again real soon, but this close to the holiday it would mean next week at the earliest.
    Liked hearing a comedian friend do a 'number joke' tonight at the club, excellent word smithing. It was about the 4th of July. Also saw somebody from my native state, he saw my Iowa coat. He is from Cedar Rapids. Even though we were from different parts of the state, I liked how we found common ground. But I do try to find this, as we should care more about what unites us, not what divides us. I am knowledgeable enough where I do try to find common ground, which does make a difference. I can say I knew somebody from there somehow, and I did when going to a large state university where there were students from all over the state and all over the Midwest.  

Carrier Pigeons

There were 2 more odd dreams this morning, one was going on a rescue mission to find a kidnapped dog. The other was about trying to handle getting to work, after oversleeping. Had I driven to work, I would have been on time. But I was walking backwards in the dream. I haven't been late for work in a while, but it is a concern nonetheless. This is my best guess as to why I had this dream, as I am known for trying to analyze them. Though we all know dreams are odd at times, about things that are not happening but what we still think about but may not admit much.
    I saw a comedian friend tonight at the club that I hadn't seen in a while. He did a joke that I thought was funny about carrier pigeons, though I don't think it was meant to be since it was about ending a relationship. He is correct that breakign up is hard to do, which is why he suggested it may be best to do so by carrier pigeons. I didn't get an answer as to where he had been, maybe on an extended gig. Seems to be the best reason I don't see a comedian from time to time.

J. Edgar Hoover Biopic

I saw the biopic about FBI director J. Edgar Hoover earlier today in Eagan. I also played Scattergories in the early evening before watching the Simpsons, fell asleep briefly while watching that show but I knew how tired I was and I kept trying to stave it off. Before the movie we watched a 'Little House' Christmas episode on DVD, I liked seeing Victor French guest-star in it. He played Mr. Edwards, my dad's favorite character.
    The movie was kind of long, over 2 hours. But I do like biographical movies, even though I haven't seen many movies Leonardo DiCaprio is in this one was well-done. I knew some of this man's story, but not all that much since he died before I was born. I think he is more likely a butt of a joke than anything else now, since there is plenty of rumor about his private life although much of it is considered to be conjecture. I had entered a contest to get tickets to an advance screening, via text message, but didn't win.
  With biopics, I am now used to seeing the disclaimer in the closing credits about how 'some scenes and characters are invented for dramatic effect'. At first it was hard to accept, but I understand how they're trying to sell a movie and some parts of the story may not sell enough tickets. It was a good coverage of American history during his 48 years as director, including the gangster era as well as the Lindbergh baby case. When I had heard of this man before, my earliest recall was when my sister was asked to watch a TV-movie, maybe on public TV, for a high school class. It was called 'Hoover vs. the Kennedys', I thought it was about President Herbert Hoover. 

She's a Good Skate

We got the first snow of the season, and I finished my errand running in spite of it. There was an odd residue when I was doing laundry in the washing machine, especially when I didn't wash anything with pockets and it looked like a crumbled cookie.
   As part of my date tonight I brought over two videos, both VHS. We had enough time to watch one of them, a Charlie Brown special called 'She's a Good Skate'. It was about Peppermint Patty as a figure skater, and Snoopy was her grouchy skating coach. I hadn't seen it in a while, and I recalled seeing the book version when I was younger, especially when Patty and Snoopy handle to hockey players wanting to take over the ice. They shove both lines, creating a domino effect. Then we went on to have dinner at a casino in a nearby town, I had ribeye steak. We don't have formal dinners that often, but this time we both had dressy outfits. I need to check how many of those Charlie Brown specials I have, I know about having 4 on VHS but unsure how many I have on DVD.
   Even though I was at a casino, I didn't gamble for long at the slot machines as I tend to prefer other forms of entertainment. I did see a band performing, and it reminded me of how a colleague had helped me with some music terminology this week. I said I liked the effect of certain instruments, like in Rhianna's song 'Umbrella' I hear a constant use of a foot-operated double cymbal. He said it was called a 'hi-hat', and I did see it as part of the drumkit at the casino and I spoke of it to my date. I pay close attention to the drummer.

Leona Lewis

I was trying to find the song I had heard at Quizno's on the previous day, got confused and found 'Happy' by Leona Lewis. Decent song, just wasn't what I was looking for. I was thinking of a one-word title, and hadn't wrote it down right when I had the chance which made it harder to remember. So I kept searching online based on the lyrics I remembered, hard to do when many were 'dummy hits', but I kept trying and found it.
    I liked finding out recently how syndicated reruns of 'Monk' are being shown in the area, so I decided to stay in tonight and watch an episode. What helps with me liking the show was knowing Randy Newman does the theme song, saying 'it's a jungle out there' as the main character is a neurotic obessive-compulsive, but good at solving criminal cases. Bob Costas was a guest star, playing himself, a sports announcer, as it took place at a football game.
    I did get some tickets for a play about George Gershwin for next month, at lunchtime since the venue is close to my workplace. After watching 'Monk' I went out and got a few more 'replacement' photo albums at Target as I want to phase out as many of those 'school binder'-type albums as possible. I also got a bottle of mustard for under a dollar, as the store brand tends to be real cheap. I had just used up the last of the ketchup on my TV dinner when I had dinner tonight after work. I like mustard way more, so of the two bottles- commercial size that I got at a company potluck in April- I used up the mustard way more quickly.

Lily Allen

I made it to Quizno's in Minneapolis tonight with my date after getting another statue picture, this time a Linus at a university library. It isn't open all that late, so we had to go right before closing on a Wednesday or Thursday, as it is open a little later on those two days, until 7pm. I liked how it was near the entrance door, easy in and out. Unsure as to when and where the next one will be, but I knew it was our best shot to find it before Thanksgiving so it means find a way to get it done.
   While at Quizno's getting a sandwich I noticed the music there being played, as I do in many places I am at. I said to the employee sweeping up how the song sounded familiar, but couldn't put my finger on the title and performer. He said he could look it up, in the online age it is much easier to find out song titles. Sometimes all that one needs to do is hold up a mobile internet device and it will give the answer. He went into a back room, and when he returned he said it was 'Smile' by Lily Allen. What was memorable about it wasn't just the beat of the music, but some of the lyrics like referring to a Beatles song. Since the lyrics include 'with a little help from my friends', a song later covered by Joe Cocker and became the theme song to the TV show 'Wonder Years'. So it means looking it up on Youtube at some point.
    After the project was done for the night, I did talk scheduling of later events with my date. I wanted to avoid any scheduling conflicts before ordering any more event tickets. But things are clearer now, so I will go about more of the planning that I wanted to do.

A Trifecta

I wasn't expecting it to be such a busy day, but there was 3 appointments. First was the Roosevelt mentoring program at a college- St. Thomas. Then there was a dental appointment, finally I was  onstage at the comedy club. I did fine at all three.
    Naturally, due to the mentoring event it meant I had the day off from work. It's getting near the end of the year and I need to use up vacations days anywway, or lose them. I just need to use four a year for this program, and the next event will be in February, a Shakespeare play at the Guthrie. I had hoped that my student would be there, but was told by his teacher that he missed the bus. I was holding up a sign like chaffeurs do at the airport, saying who they are waiting for.
    I spoke with somebody from another office, who said they had been at mine before transferring. But it's hard to remember all of those I've worked with over the years. Like many people, they seemed to be impressed with how I do some comedy. This was the opening activity that our group did, having actual in-person conversations since the moderator said we don't do enough of this in the era of email and text messages. Then after lunch, which was pizza, our group did tours of the campus, switching with the other group. The tour guide was memorable, a blonde girl from Omaha who just had a hoodie on but no coat so she seemed to be ill-prepared for being outside.
    The second event was the dental appointment, and in this case no news is good news. Still no cavities, and the dental assistant likes to talk to me. She said she was afraid of messing up and becoming my next comedy bit, and likes to hear about my dates. I had to ask how long it would take, normally I wouldn't care but when I am scheduled to be onstage I like to make sure I show up as it reflects poorly on me if I don't. It was odd how she told me when she sees my name on the schedule, I am one of the few that she can count on showing up. But I said the same as I did about comedy, about how I take it seriously. The next appointment will be a longer pause than the others as she told me of having hip surgery early next year, and informed me of when  she would be back and I am fine with waiting until then. She seems kind of young to be having hip surgery.
   The third event, the comedy club, meant not having a beer due to the recent dental work. No big deal to me. The club owner saw me sitting in the back, and said to me 'you're on the list' and I nodded, as I was aware of it. I was getting my material ready. Trying some new jokes along with the tried and true works well. I like getting a few extra minutes at this club compared to the one from Monday, but I like getting stagetime no matter where and how many minutes it is.

Changing Format

There was a change in format on the payoff report due to the continuing IT problems, so the decision was made to do an alternate kind of printout. I don't do the format too often, but knew I needed to adapt. I didn't mind it that much, just meant paying attention real close and taking good notes.
   At the comedy club tonight I saw a comic that I had seen at a show in St. Louis back in August. He does remember me being there, and other particulars about the gig like who opened for him, a guitar player. I like that feeling of leaving a lasting impression. It was also nice to see some of the regulars of course, like a good friend of mine, somebody I trade playful insults with.
    This morning I had a vivid dream about putting a dog in the back of a station wagon. It was drugged, but I don't have a station wagon. I try to analyze my own dreams, I know I sometimes dream some really odd things, or maybe the better term is 'bizarre'. My best guess is that dogs have been on my mind quite a bit lately, and if I was acting in this way I truly wanted to save the animal. I know I had said it before, about being unsure as to how I would act around pets when I didn't grow up with them. But I think it proves I have some compassion.

More IT Problems

There was  a much smaller payoff report than typical for a Monday, due to IT problems. But one can only do what is put in front of them. This likely means having to do the pages that didn't print or 'load' on a later date.
   I got picked to go onstage tonight at the comedy club, it went well which feels good. First time at this club in about 2 months. I liked getting noticed after being onstage, as some said 'you were good', a reminder of the first time at this club more than 3 years ago which made it easier to continue. I wanted to ask a comedian friend what the 'mirror image' was even though I have a good feel of what works and what doesn't while 'in the moment'. Yes, what would make it easier is to get a video camera and film myself more often, but it doesn't seem to be high enough of a priority right now. I know many of my friends do like to film thenselves, and I do like seeing my clips online as I can see tendencies and mannerisms I use.

Mystic Showroom

Went to a concert at a casino this evening, it was like watching minor league baseball as it was up and coming musicians. It was known as 'the K102 Class of 2011', and there were about 6 bands scheduled. But it was getting late, so I agreed with my date that we leave before the final act got started. We saw one of her 'country music friends' as we were leaving. She said 'we weren't following you'.  First time seeing this friend, so of course we had to be introduced. This is just one of the four in the group, I had seen a picture of all of them. Thry all live in different towns.  I recognized many of the covered songs, like 'Won't Back Down' by Tom Petty, 'Pink Houses' by Mellencamp, and 'Rock and Roll' by Led Zeppelin. The tickets were general admission, and free to her since she is on an 'advisory board'.
    We did go to an art showcase at a cabaret in Minneapolis in the afternoon. Found out we did have enough time for both events, but left shortly after the performers were done even though there was time available to 'meet the artists'. As expected, some were better than others. The teenager playing the drums was quite good. So was the piano player, he played a Beethoven song on an electric piano. Unsure what the title is, but as I recall it's the song about a lost love.
    We got another video watched, this time a baseball movie. I brought over 'Long Home Run', about the College World Series, with Kevin Costner as narrator. I got it in Omaha when I was there last year for the Series. Plenty of special features on it, which is common for DVDs.

   

Enterprise Story on Facebook

My story on Enterprise Rentacar was picked up, so cool! I was asked to send a picture, so it has been sent and hopefully it will be accepted. It is from the airport. The title given by them was 'couldn't miss the concert' as it was the story about the first time I rented from them. It was due to needing a car to get to a Pearl Jam concert in 1998 at Alpine Valley, WI.
    I went to a sports bar to watch the Iowa football game vs. Michigan State, Iowa lost 37-21. I got plenty of errand running done before it, such as groceries adn taking change to the bank. I had over $11 to deposit, surprising how there was a greater value in dimes than pennies. It was in contrast to before, where over half was in pennies. I was off by a dollar or so as to the amount, due to over-filling the card. It was hard to read after a while. I wanted to keep track of the total every time I added something. One thing I am thankful I did before venturing out was using a lint roller on 2 sweatshirts, both were in need of it.
   I now have an ottoman, I had to confirm it was furniture, it was given to me earlier today. In the evening I had a date with two of her friends at a place in Minneapolis. We finally met them on the third attempt, there were scheduling problems earlier. They were interested in how I do some comedy, and I enjoy telling people about it.
   After the dinner we watched a video, 'Good Grief, Charlie Brown', a documentary on CBS as Charles Schulz was retiring. The tape wasn't as good as I would have liked, I said the same about a TV-movie recorded on the same tape, 'Alan Freed Story' starring Judd Nelson.

Chris and Rob's

I replaced another lightbulb tonight, going on the 'attrition system' with the old incandescent ones. I replace them with CFL when they burn out. It seems to be the same one, the one by the front door, that I am replacing each time. I guess it does get used more than the others, as it gets turned on first when I get home from work or wherever else I have been.
    Since I was tired after work, I didn't do much else but call a friend and go eat besides the errand running for the lightbulb. I liked finding a place close to where I do my laundry that has Chicago style food. It is called Chris and Rob's, billing itself as Chicago's taste authority. It looks a lot like Mickey's Diner in downtown St. Paul, as both appear to be inside retired railroad cars. Liked seeing all of the pictures on the wall as a reminder of the city, as I still have affinity for an area I once lived in. Most of them were of the sports teams, as expected, since it gives the city plenty of national attention when many Americans love their sports. I had a prime rib sandwich, something I don't have very often.
   Once the errand running was done, I wanted to watch a Charlie Brown special but having limited time before wanting to watch the 10pm news eliminated some options. So I chose 'You're a Good Sport' as it was just under 30 minutes. It of course is the one about motocross, I like how it follows the book fairly close. I had read the book when at the barber shop as a kid, and the barber's name was Charlie Brown so it seemed appropriate to have them there.

Given a Bag

Went to a writer meeting tonight, it was meant to end at 8:30 but lasted even longer, until 9pm. One member who had resigned from the steering committee decided to give me a bag which had some shirts in it, but also said there was money in it, $66 apparently. I really didn't want to keep it that bad, when money is involved. So I gave it to our acting chapter chairman, as I am not chairman or treasurer. Wanted to avoid any conflicts of interest, and I would have had a hard time finding a place for storing it anyway. We had a representative from Chicago observing our meeting, first time I had seen them since the convention in June. If I have the time, I will try to look them up the next time I am in town. A few followed along on Skype, though this technology didn't seem to be working all that well. The venue was a cafe, since I had already eaten my evening meal I didn't eat or drink anything there. I had little money on me anyway, since it wasn't payday just yet. I ended up getting a candy bar from a Walgreen after the meeting as it was cheaper than a cookie at the coffee house. I wanted to get another photo album there, so it served multiple needs.
   After getting home I fielded a message on Facebook from one of the meeting attendees. She left before I did and asked if she missed anything. It was a reminder of how I don't know many of those in this organization. I enjoyed the exchange, though I hadn't done an I.M. chat for a while, I think the last time was with a comedian friend in Dallas-Ft. Worth.
   I noticed how divisive the firing of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is/was. There are plenty of Facebook pages for and against his firing. Also odd: some can't agree on if Penn State football is a pro or amateur sports team.

An Orphan Letter

After the comedy show tonight, I saw a letter 'A' that I think was meant to be part of a nearby sign. A beer bottle was next to it. I felt kind of sad for the 'orphan letter' so I moved it closer to to actual sign, leaving it right under it. The sign was for the plaza where the club is located. One comedian friend had a posting about a Heavy D song, who just died recently. I said his hit song, 'Now That We Found Love', reminded me of how a classmate from high school looked like him. It was of course an unflattering observation.
   At work we played 'Jeopardy' related to collections policies, but it was irrelevant to my job when I'm not a collector. Had to cut short my lunch, at first being unaware of when the meeting began. I spilled my soup due to being in a rush as the container wasn't latched down properly. Thankfully it was New England Clam Chowder so I was able to spoon up most of it with a big spoon I found in a drawer. I finished eating it at the meeting.
   The big news was about Penn State football coach Joe Paterno being fired due to a sex abuse scandal involving a former assistant. It was on the 10pm news, before that hearing 'Paterno is out' on a sports talk radio show meant little to me, thinking they meant 'at end of season' which is what Mr. Paterno had said in a statement. I don't take sports talk radio seriously, especially when it is mostly rumor and opinion. This means it is not a legitimate media outlet. I decided not to make any comments on Facebook about it, since it was a hot-button issue. In addition, my life goes on, no matter what happens to some famous person. It's still for the historians to decide as to what will be written, as the story is still unfolding. What happened to those kids didn't have to happen, and abuse of any kind is wrong. It is definitely not the typical college sports scandal, which is recruiting violations and playing players under the table. But I do get bored with the media circus on certain stories, where the media likes to hold their 'court of public opinion'. It doesn't seem there is enough newsworthy stories, as too many are about what famous people do.

Emerson Hough Bucktail Fly

When doing a routine search online about Emerson Hough, I found mention of something related to fly fishing. Surprised I hadn't found mention of it earlier, but it does make a difference as to what key words are used in a search engine. I entered 'Emerson Hough Field', referring to where football was once played in my hometown, and found it. My guess is it was connected to 'Field And Stream', a fishing magazine. The fishing equipment is so named as it uses tail from a deer, a buck. I am still searching to see if there are other inventions credited to him. I printed a page describing it, as well as a picture of it. A man named Sturgis claims the hair-spinning technique came to Chicago in about 1912, brought by Hough. Another article I printed was from the site known as 'Open Library', listing 59 works for Hough. Most of these i had heard of, some just sounded like a different edition of the same book. There was one I hadn't heard of, called 'What the War Means to Us'. It listed 1 edition, published in 1917, so of course it was about World War I. Apparently it is different from 'The Web', which was printed later. I have 7 Hough books, 8 if you count 'Maw's Vacation', which is more like a novella.
   On the bus this morning I saw the annoying woman, when asked to move over a little for another rider she said 'oh jeez'. Then when another wanted a seat nearby they were told how she doesn't like anyone sitting near her. It was true.
   

Baseball Movies

Found out I have plenty of baseball movies, about 10 in all. Six of them are on DVD, including 'Field of Dreams'. I still have some VHS tapes, but once I got a DVD player it didn't take long to decide to 'switch over' as much as possible. I also decided to look at the case full of VHS tapes that I recorded while in high school, it included another one. 'Pride of the Yankees', about Lou Gehrig and starring Gary Cooper, is there. I have plenty of Charlie Brown and Snoopy specials as well, though likely more VHS than DVD. It included one I recorded from TV, when Schulz retired.
  On the way to the comedy club tonight I made a stop at a convenience store for dinner. While there I  saw a coin taped up to a receipt machine. The clerk informed me it was a rare coin from an African nation apparently.
    A colleague spoke of wanting to enter an event which sounded like an extreme obstacle course. It sounds like the type of event I would want to observe, since it would be fun to write about. And I held my own at the comedy club, not just ABA/NBA history but also punning where appropriate. One comedian friend said I 'got out of the pun-itentiary'. I could recall reading in an encyclopedia yearbook about the final season of the ABA in 1976. Some franchises folded during the season, just 7 finished. The Virginia Squires lasted through the schedule and then died. Then 4 clubs were absorbed when the leagues merged- Denver, San Antonio, Indiana, and New Jersey. The friend was speaking about Denver Nuggets uniforms, the ones he liked and didn't like, and I knew the team's history a little.