Please, no more snow

Went to a comedy show tonight and the announcer said there was a snow emergency declared during the show. Lost count of how many this winter, but way more than normal. We have plenty of snow already and really don't want any more.
   As my dad would say, 'they're playing my song'. Saw an email recently from my writer union about free publicity for my blog, deadline soon on emailing the information. Just sent it on, so we will see about getting more readers here.
   Finished up another carton of egg nog tonight, got 2 this weekend and the one remaining is likely the last one of the season since there was just 4 after I picked up those 2. I like the taste of it.
  

King's Speech

Went to see the movie 'King's Speech' today. I laughed and cried there, some scenes reminded me of 'The Cowboys', a John Wayne movie, where swearing was allowed if it helped somebody get over a speech problem. It resonated with me when sibling rivalry and parental issues were undercurrents that led to the speech problem. Some scenes triggered memories of seeing a therapist. I did not see a speech therapist, though I was told 'you're articulate'. I was afraid of developing a speech problem due to having some family members plagued by one. But I didn't, although I was still afraid of public speaking for a while. Odd how it worked out for me, I now go up onstage and tell jokes, definitely got past that!
   I got caught up on record-keeping and rest today, which was nice. Before the movie I went to drop off 5 small bags of recycle to a place I knew had the bins.
   Called my dad tonight, heard some more about his surgery from earlier this month, he has another appointment coming up soon.

Twins Fanfest

Went on a date to the Twins fanfest in Blaine today. First time at this venue. Crowded there, but we made it through fine. We saw Paul Molitor get interviewed live on the radio.
   I did get ahold of my dad's pastor, still haven't heard from my dad since surgery. Must be phone line problems there.
   Also returned a call to a Texas man from earlier in the week, asking about somebody with the same name as me but I didn't know him. I did say I wanted to share his story since it would be great to tell on my blog. He told me his own name as well as who he was looking for, and that this man was a teacher of advanced math in my area and was his roommate at Texas Tech in 1962. Was there on a special scholarship grant.
   I had hoped to get around in time to see a movie tonight after my date, but I didn't. Will just push it back a day. There were some other important things I wanted to get done, like get caught up on record-keeping, rest, and going through mail. Of course it means using the shredder on the junk mail, which I like. I even 'shred the junk mail' like an old disco song, 'shake your booty'.
   This was a notable day in my family's history, as we moved from Monroe to Newton on this date back in 1983. I shared this fact with my date.
  

Chores Galore

I wanted to get the place cleaned up for visitors expected on Saturday. So after work I got started fairly early. After checking email and watching some favorite shows like 'the Office' I got started on chores, which meant laundry. Called my college roommate while waiting for the laundry to finish. Then on to doing dishes, recycle, and taking out trash. Also included was sweeping and mopping floors, finally putting away the laundry that was in the basket, on hangers or in the drawers. Got just about everything done I set out to do but I was really busy.
  I'm trying to remember a lesson from work this week, that is to ask about others more. I did this when I called, starting off with asking how things were on the eastern seaboard since he moved from Memphis earlier this month. Of course he spoke of the winter weather, plenty of snow there.
   It was a fairly routine day at work, though the boss wasn't in today. Also liked going to a committee meeting as a good friend of mine is on the same committee, a drawing card for me joining. The afternoon was mainly spent with writing up the meeting minutes for that one and for one earlier in the week, liked getting things finished by the end of the week.

Volunteer Award Banquet

I decided to go to an award banquet tonight as I figured they would have better food than what I normally eat, and I was correct. Though it was a tight schedule, didn't have much time to check email after work then had to leave and still was a few minutes late. Despite this, I still finished my food before others did as I was a fast eater. I was hungry as it was late for me to eat. Liked seeing my name next to the display about the mentoring program I am in at a nearby high school. They had some pictures from the Wolves game last month, I am in the group picture at midcourt and another is of just me and my student. Sadly, I found out today how they will be switching students on me again. My 4th year in the program and only once have I finished the year with the same student as I started with. It's a lack of effort on the student's part, can't make them respond to emails and attend events. Last email I received was December 2, and he attended just 1 of 3 events.
   I am tired, might have been in my best interest not to attend the banquet. But I can decide to just go to bed earlier tonight. There was I.T. problems again at work, so the payoff reports had to wait again.
  One of my comedian friends changed the date of a comedy show, and the new date doesn't work for me. It was to be this Saturday, but was moved back a week. So I had to change it to 'not attending'. But he has a show a week after that, February 12, which should work fine for me.
  

After Action Review

My apologies to my college roommate if I got the term wrong. But he has been advising me about my dates and I think he called it an 'after action review', a military term since he was in the military. I like how he has been willing to help me with plenty of pointers I wouldn't think of myself, and I want to get these things right.
    A comedian friend did a Facebook posting about how she was matched up with me online, and I sure was puzzled when I came home from work and found those notices piling up in my email account. some were funnier than others. I first asked 'What?' and 'Where?' Then said I had a rule about not dating coworkers, at my dayjob and at the comedy club. Reminded myself that I was matched up with her, but it was months ago. And didn't pursue it due to my rule.
   It was odd that a colleague and my boss wanted to discuss me using the term 'flunkie' today, and no it has nothing to do with flunking a class in school. Odd how he said I was being overbearing, but i found out after looking up the definition I was using the word properly and he wasn't. It refers to somebody who does menial tasks like delivering bad news. He still intrigues me, but can get to be nosey and too inquisitive. But he reminds me of me, so that intrigues me.
   I wanted to make it to the comedy club tonight but didn't make it in time. Had too much to do like get a copy of the comment thread I mentioned, since it's good joke material. Also wanted to rest some and I must have fallen asleep for a while as I dreamed and can't recall doing too much of that recently. There was one about trying to stay on top of a horse I was riding, another was watching a video of myself while helping out the high school basketball team. The last was of my friend from school smoking a cigar at a comedy club I frequent, my little league teammate. I was woke up by some screaming kids.

Too Busy To Be Tired

Jesse Ventura was famous for the movie line 'aint got time to bleed'. Tonight I told myself I was too busy to be tired. I was tired at work and wanted to rest after getting home but wanted to see I was early at the comedy club tonight since I would be onstage, and the first comic after the MC. I was too afraid I would oversleep, and I don't care to miss out on stage time. Plenty of new jokes, they went well despite tripping over words a little but I kept going. Reserved some free tickets for a colleague that requested them by IM, I know him from the company's mentoring program. He works in a different office, so since I don't work with him every day it was easier to perform for somebody I knew. Especially since I was doing a few jokes about my job.
   There was 2 meetings at work today, I was note taker at one of them. Hated how IT issues flared up, had to hand off some of my work since I had an appointment to attend and my boss still wanted it delivered by a certain time.
   

Hearing Friends Share

At the comedy club tonight I spoke with some of my friends about who I am dating and some of them shared about their relationships, current and former, which was nice. It meant they proved they can be serious for a while, one of them spoke of the 'one that got away'. I knew he had been divorced, he had  mentioned it onstage before, said the marriage lasted 6 months. But 'the one that got away' sounded like a different relationship. I hope to avoid the same fate if I can, about the 'one that got away'.
   I shared with my work spouse as well, somebody I trust. I said I like how me and her are working hard to make it work, and my work spouse said she sounds way better than the others I've dated. It's still a game not to tell my boss anything, since she's been pushy about wanting details.
  

Crowded Bar, Found Friend

I saw one of my comedian friends and his wife when I went to a bar to see the Bears-Packers playoff game today, Bears lost 21-14. He was surprised that I am a Bears fan, spoke of how it went back to 1984 when I was a kid, they were on TV a lot since they were winning divisions and had Mike Ditka as coach. Also lived in the NW suburbs of Chicago for a while, when I attended my first-ever Bears game during the Champaign season of 2002. Got a late start on the day, so I watched the first half at home and drove to the bar to watch the second. Added plenty more pictures to my Facebook album, 14 in all, more than doubling it, now at 24. Many were from travels in the fall, like to the Texas State Fair in Dallas as well as Oktoberfest in New Ulm.
    I fell asleep while watching the second game, Steelers-Jets, but woke up in time to see the ending, that the Steelers won. I recognized one of the presenters of the trophy after the game, former Steeler player Franco Harris. His backfield mate, Rocky Bleier, was the other. Knew a little about Bleier from reading the books I found about the Steelers 4 Super Bowl wins in the 1970s.
   Somebody I met at the comedy show in Faribault, Minnesota, from Saturday friended me on Facebook, I accepted. She later tagged me in a picture of me and her. She wanted a picture with all of the comedians there, I took one then was asked to be in one.
   Tried to contact my dad tonight, unable to do so, same as on Saturday. So I found the business card he gave me of his pastor, and called it. I know the phone reception isn't always great where Dad is.

The Casino

Went to a casino on a date today, first time I had gambled in a while. But it wasn't a high amount, on slot machines. Won a little. Since it was with my date's money I gave my winnings back to her. I of course noticed one thing as a prize there, a Ford Mustang. But each try on the slot machine for it was a dollar, more than most slot machines. So most people, ourselves included, wouldn't bother with it. Lives up to the term of a 'high-stakes bet'. Liked the buffet there, good food.
   Then in the evening I hit the road for a friend's comedy show, in Faribault, Minnesota. I didn't get as much sleep as I had wanted, so it came as no surprise that I was tired by evening. I could tell while driving to the show, the last few miles. Ate at the A&W restaurant there, then on to the show in the middle of town at what looked like a former movie theater. Many of my comedian friends performed that night, one of them even gave me a shoutout but didn't say why, usually it is done in context. Also liked an art display there in another room, recognized portraits of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and John Wayne. There was a comments page, and I said I liked those in particular. Emerson Hough would be proud that his friend 'Teddy' is so well remembered. There was a meet and greet after the show at a nearby bar, I got a picture taken with a woman I didn't know well but she was asking me to take pictures for her before I was in one. Since I was tired I didn't have any beer tonight, went for drinks of Coke and Pepsi instead. It was a cold and windy night while driving back after the show. It was nice to be there as it reminded me of where I grew up in small-town Iowa, of course it wasn't that far from the state line and there are some familiar things there like Hy-Vee grocery stores for this reason.  

The Sorry Card

So named because I decided to get such a card for my boss. I didn't list her as somebody who had helped make the December carnival possible, was afraid I would leave somebody out but who would have thought it was going to be my boss? I went by the flyers and emails I had in front of me. I saw that my boss got the card right before the end of the day.
   It was a busy evening after work, stopped to get flowers for my date and some wine as well. Forgot to take the price tag off the flowers, she prompted me on that. I was in such a rush to get there, for some reason when I did that a month earlier I did remember to take off the price tag. We had bread dipped in hot cheese, I helped with stirring the cheese. Will have to look up a previous email as to the name of the actual dish we were eating. She had studied some cooking in finishing school, after graduating from college.

Haircut Picture

I added a haircut picture to my Facebook photo album this evening. Figured out a way to take one myself, though the picture isn't that great. Decided to add one of some of my "Simpsons" collectibles as well, on a shelf, along with my dad's friend's Maytag plaque. I recall speaking of him while on a date recently, surprised I forgot about him for so long since he died when I was in 8th grade and he did babysit me a few times. I thought of the Pearl Jam song 'Nothingman' as one lyric is 'those who forget are destined to remember'. And all of those memories flowed back, like another Pearl Jam song, 'Elderly Woman'. Thankfully the plaque was still there for sale, first time I saw it in an antique shop I didn't buy it. I bought a few other Maytag items after the Whirlpool buyout as I wanted some things to remind me of my upbringing. Since there was some positive things from it.
    After watching 'Big Bang Theory' tonight I did venture out in the subzero weather to get  a few things. Some of them are for the date I have planned for Friday. Got the pictures taken before leaving as I knew I could get what I needed, for the most part, at Walgreen. So I decided to get some pictures of my home in there as well. I like having pictures of all the places I've lived.
    It was a weird day at work, our I.T. didn't work very well so it meant doing things more manually, in terms of having to create the payoff cases ourselves, usually they are created for us. But we found a way through it, one has to find a way since people need those documents.
    Also on Facebook tonight I had an I.M. conversation with a fellow comedian in Dallas-Ft. Worth. He liked my comedy clip about going to the Lady Gaga concert. I liked advising him about the craft, and told the story about how I got into comedy. Haunted by the memory of not trying when encouraged by friends while in school, then fate intervened, a weird year where I went to 2 funerals and a wedding. Spoke at 2 of those events, and the third was what mostly spurred me there. Since there was a comedy club gift certificate at the silent auction and benefit event. Though the public speaking helped, telling myself how comedy is just public speaking.

Presentation Day

I did the presentation at the department 'convention' in the early afternoon. Felt good about it since I had done plenty of public speaking, especially comedy. Even started off with a joke I had used onstage, about how it felt like 'Price is Right' when they yell 'come on down!' The colleague I call Mr. I.T. said I wasn't going to win anything. I had a diorama brought in, it was of the collapsed Metrodome, originally shown at the carnival from last month. It was a good story to tell, about how seeing it helped take my mind off the waiting for news about my ticket for the football game. The other one I wanted to bring in but I didn't want it falling apart on me, it was nice as well, reminding me of the 'Hansel and Gretel' house since the roof was made out of candy.
    Looks like I have a date for Friday, so now that means getting ready for it. Picked up a paper so I could read an article about the previous Bears-Packers playoff matchup in 1941, I like seeing archival photos and the historical perspective. Also made it to the grocery store and picked up a few items from their discount table, like some small boxes of Captain Crunch, hadn't eaten it in a while. Also some small boxes of Quaker granola bars, love the peanut butter kind. Didn't want to stay outside for long, since it is subzero again.

Button on Backpack

I like the people I meet from taking the bus to and from work. Tonight it was somebody who was on his way back from college, and his button on a backpack spoke of being a veteran. I like hearing people share their stories.
   It was a busy day at work, first day back after the holiday. But I found a way through, and it's all that one can ask of themselves. Needed to set aside time for getting a presentation ready for a meeting, forgot about how quickly it was coming up as I had been really busy.
   Called a college roommate tonight after getting a response to my email, he gave me more advice about who I'm dating. Call lasted longer than expected, was late getting to the comedy club. Saw somebody I knew there from my employer's mentoring program.

Fuel, and In Therapy

I watched 2 DVD movies today, had the day off from work due to the holiday. 'Fuel' was a documentary about oil and alternative fuels, mentioned biodiesel, and liked how it went through the biography of Rudolf Diesel, who invented the engine. Also wrote down Naomi Klein, who wrote a book called 'Shock Doctrine', as well as a movie called 'Louisiana Story', since both were mentioned in it.
   'In Therapy' was a Brazilian movie about a bored middle aged wife who went to see a psychiatrist. I liked one line about how she didn't cry when her mom died, she was 8 at the time. And she didn't cry for anyone or anything after that either. I could relate to it. But she cried when her friend died of cancer. Also liked one scene where her husband was trying to get rid of her, since he was obviously just trying to watch the soccer game. Tough thing was having to back up every so often to reread the subtitles.
   Also watched 'Jeopardy' after getting back from returning the movies and going grocery shopping. Though I didn't like the taste of the egg nog I picked up, made from soy milk. For some reason I got 2 cartons, a quart each. Not sure why I didn't just get one. I have drank one of them already, just wanting to get rid of it.
   Saw a comedian friend tonight at the comedy club, first time in a while, same was true for his lady friend. I shared with them about how it was going with who I am dating currently.

Border Basketball

Went to the Iowa-Minnesota basketball game at Williams Arena in Minneapolis today, Iowa lost 69-59. The Iowa Hawkeyes have a new coach this season, Fran McCaffrey, and were being outrebounded. When looking at a box score I look at rebounds, fouls, and free throws. The Tom Davis-coached teams were good at rebounding, and won often for this reason. This fact, along with the Nike commercial with Dennis Rodman saying 'also led the league in rebounds' reminded me of the importance of the statistic.
   The Bears-Seahawks game was this afternoon, lucked out on the scheduling since I was able to watch it in full and still make it to the basketball game in time. Though after the game, which the Bears won 35-24, I fell asleep but not for too long. Bears surged ahead early, leading 21-0 at halftime. Liked finding the history of the Bears-Packers rivalry on Wikipedia, the matchup next week. It began in 1921, not played in 1922 and 1982, the latter due to the strike. There have been 6 ties, last time 1953. This game, being a playoff, will of course not be ending in a tie. But since the overtime rule began in 1974 ties are much less common anyway. Three years of one game only, last time 1924. Seven years of 3 games, last time in 1933, if excluding the year of the only previous playoff matchup in 1941. Two games not played in Green Bay or Chicago, in Milwaukee (1974) and Champaign (2002). The Champaign game of course was the year where the Bears had to move while Soldier Field was being renovated. This was the year I attended my first-ever Bears game, saw 3 that season, against the Saints,Lions, and Jets. The Packers did play some games in Milwaukee at County Stadium, since demolished and home to baseball's Braves and Brewers, but not since 1994. I think some of the Milwaukee games had also been played at the state fairgrounds, though playing football at state and county fairgrounds was once fairly common. It may not be a continuous rivalry, but of course has been played more often than any other NFL series, helped by being 2 of the league's oldest franchises and being in the same division.
    In many ways the scheduling for the day reminded me of living in suburban Chicago, as 9 years earlier I watched a Bears playoff game on TV and then left for a Hawkeye basketball game, at Northwestern. I left before the end of the Bears game, but as of the 2-minute warning I knew the Bears had lost to the Eagles. It was the last game before the renovations at Soldier Field.
    I like the song 'Who's That Chick' by Rihanna, heard it on the radio and then looked it up on Youtube. It's nice how a few key words is enough to find a song when searching online. I had adrenalin and just want to dance, along with beating like a drum. The drum part reminded me to look up 'Your Love is My Drug' by Kesha, since one lyric is 'do I make your heart beat like and 808 drum'. I liked a sentiment in the comments, 'music taught me how to live'. This describes me as well. Didn't know the songs of all the musicians mentioned, such as Bruno Mars, or like all of them, such as Taylor Swift and Michael Jackson. But the other three? I knew and liked them. Lady Gaga taught me it's OK to be different, Kesha taught me to be myself and not care what everyone thinks, Eminem taught me that life is hard but you can make it through. It is what drew me to Eminem's music, the movie '8 Mile', since it was a 'diamond in the rough' story. Also found a song featuring Eminem, called 'that's all she wrote' by TI. He did sing something about Mc Donald's and A&W in it.
   I liked the mention of adrenalin in Rihanna's song. I think of two times when I think I was running on pure adrenalin. One time I was being courageous, when I sucker punched a bully that just wouldn't leave me alone, like when George McFly slugged Biff Tannen in 'Back to the Future'. The other time was in college, at a really exciting Hawkeye basketball game vs. Michigan State the day after turning 21. I was hugging people I didn't even know, numerous lead changes, Iowa won 79-78. I was still emotionally at the game long after leaving the arena, my then-roommate could tell. A former roommate called me that night and we talked about the game, he had heard about it and it was what prompted him to call me.

True Grit

Went to see the movie 'True Grit' today, I have the original starring John Wayne on DVD but hadn't seen it in a while. I liked seeing Matt Damon in the remake. Good thing there was multiple theaters showing it, as I was online for a while and knew I wouldn't get around on time for some of the early showings of the day. Ate at a Target snack bar nearby after it, then went home to get a Dairy Queen blizzard 2 for 1 coupon. I used it after getting 2 movies at a Blockbuster for the extended weekend, and as usual I ate 1 blizzard there and took the other one home for a later day. I had a date in the evening, she cooked for me and we watched a movie, 'Sleepless in Seattle', I hadn't seen it before. I recognized many of the songs in it. Liked it better than I thought I would, since it's supposed to be a 'chick flick'.

Another Snowstorm

I didn't do much after work tonight. I went over to the Taco Bell to use coupon number 11 and didn't get a receipt this time, but had to sign the receipt they kept for their records. It does make a difference who is serving as to if I get to keep a receipt myself. This means 9 left and more than 5 months to use them all, so an average of 2 a month will do it. After that I went to the grocery store and checked if there was any more egg nog, didn't see any. But other stores may have it. There was other holiday goodies that were discounted though. cookies. I picked up 2 packages. One was Archway, the other Voortman, already some of the latter.
   In many ways it is echoing the big snowstorm from last month, where I didn't do much. Thought about going to a comedy show not after I saw what it was like while riding the bus home. So having cookies and a beer is much like last month. I tried to watch a VHS tape of an Abraham Lincoln movie from 1930, Jason Robards was in it, but fell asleep during it. I knew this was possible, so I made sure to lock the door and finish my beer first, a Leinenkugel.
   I did read through the paper and tried to narrow the possible locations for seeing 'True Grit' this weekend, I think I will see it at a mall that also has a Dairy Queen where I can use my 2 for 1 Blizzard coupon. Also echoing last month, though they had mechanical problems and was advised to try another location. Trying to think of all I want to do and need to do there that day and in the area, there's a Blockbuster fairly close by as well. Unsure if I have the time to rent a movie as well, when I want to see some of the NFL playoff games this weekend.
  

Water Visit

I had a day off but it was still a full day. It began with a mentoring event, at a water processing facility. Liked doing the tour, it meant putting on safety glasses. Good lunch, better than what I usually have, plenty of string cheese which I like. There was an obstacle course after lunch but my student wasn't there so I wasn't asked to go through it. We did an acid and base expiriment that included baking soda and Tums inside Coca Cola, water, orange juice, and lemonade. I helped with dumping it out in a blue tub, hated looking at the muck. After it I drove home and watched Jeopardy and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. They've changed the rules a little in the past year. After it I decided to get started on my drive to a hair appointment, at a hairstyling school. I had a certificate for a free haircut that I must have acquired at a silent auction/benefit event. Thankful I built in extra time to the drive, since I needed the margin for error as I made a wrong turn but still got there early. Meant to use it before but found out I needed to book appointments more than a week in advance. Couldn't wait that long, it was October and wanted it cut before attending my first-ever Facebook wedding. Spoke with the stylist at length, she asked about my lady friend. I liked how listening to her led me to deciding to try a few more new things, wanting to put my best foot forward. Picked up some cologne since she said smelling good would help on dates, I've had way too many end as 'one and dones'.
  I wanted to get to the library to get a literary contest entry typed after the hair appointment but found out most of the terminals didn't have a floppy disc drive, they're kind of outdated now. So the librarian recommended I find some blank CDs at a Target, and my laptop has a CD drive so it means I was able to type it at home which is even better. Got it typed and submitted online, now just need to mail the entry fee in. Had no problem finding inspiraation for 3 poems, called 'The Laundromat', 'Wanting Wondering Waiting', and 'Emerson Hough Blues'. Found out I had started 'Blues' earlier, which made it easier of course, didn't have much more to write. My 4th time entering in this contest, through the College of Charleston.

Presentation Soon

As the saying goes, a big part of life is showing up. I made it to a meeting earlier today and was given a speaking opportunity for later this month about the committee I am a part of, as the note-taker. A few other members weren't there. I figured if I can do comedy I can do this as well, which is what I said about comedy before- it's just public speaking. I will want to have all of the facts available when I speak, but was told I can get this help in advance. Though it will have to wait since I was doing special requests and will have Thursday off for a mentoring event.
   I saw the president's speech from Arizona tonight, as a history major it seemed like something I needed to watch. When watching ABC's 'Nightline' show I realized how true it is, since it was compared to presidents giving speeches after tragedies like the space shuttle, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the 9/11 terrorist attack. Nice that they got Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in there, still the gold standard. I liked when he spoke of what unites us instead of what divides us, something I have often said before.
   I didn't do much else tonight as it's nice to have an 'off night' once in a while. I saw a 'Big Bang Theory' rerun before they cut in to the show the president's speech, a reminder of what I was willing to give up in order to be around my comedian friends when it was on Mondays.
  Picked up another CFL bulb today, at a Walgreen during lunchtime, along with a bar of soap. So it's even again, 2 GE lightbulbs and 2 Sylvania. At least in terms of the ones I've bought. It can be hard to find GE bulbs as not every store has them. The living room fixture has a full 3, and the other is the halogen light next to my easy chair.

Moving Around Lightbulbs

I got home from work today and turned on a light, a bulb went out. Seen this happen many times before of course. I then went to move over one of those new CFL bulbs, didn't fit inside the globe. So I found another standard one somewhere else, but told myself I needed 2 bulbs in the living room so I had to swap them again. After going to the comedy show I went to get another CFL, and moved the standard one back to where it was. I like how there's just one CFL, unlike the standards which are usually sold in a 4-pack. I like using up the package right away, and the CFLs do use less energy. I decided to go with the attrition system, where I use them until they burn out, no need to change them any earlier. I just don't like standing on a chair for long while changing them, I guess it's that fear of falling due to the chance of losing your balance. I ended up retiring 2 bulbs as I noticed another one in the living room was out. It has been a fairly big week of retiring things, did that a little after doing laundry a few days ago, a sweater with a collar and some socks. I try to get as much use out of things as I can.
   It was nice seeing a friend at the comedy club tonight, I mentioned pictures sometime soon since I don't have any comedian friends in my 'ring of honor' just yet. He also advised me to pre-order tickets for his show later this month, guess that responding on Facebook may not be enough.

Fewer Conflicts Now

Really odd how things can change quickly. There are fewer scheduling conflicts now, since one show I agreed to attend later this month is postponed. So I can attend another show the same night. This comedian friend had seen me respond all too often this way, and yes I really hate saying no to people but have no choice. He said 'now you have to attend' when I saw him tonight, somehow he knew about all of it but not sure how.
   I did go onstage tonight, did quite well as I learned my lesson from the last time, one needs time alone before going onstage to know what material to go with. Still not entirely used to having fans talk to me after the show but I still like it. One was a couple that introduced themselves, I said I usually try to remember people's names by connecting it to those I knew before with the same name.
    When I am motivated, I can get plenty done. This was true at lunchtime today, wanting to walk over to a ticket office at a hockey arena for a game next month. A minor league game is being moved here, much like nearly 6 years ago, and the tickets are cheaper so I'm fine with going. Found a ticket in the 5th row near one of the goalie nets, so it should be a nice view. It was a nice way to celebrate my birthday when I had attended previously.
    Work went fine, doing special requests, though one was tougher than the others due to my boss having the file and I didn't know this at first. But I got the file long enough to make the copies I needed to complete the request before the end of the day so it worked out fine.

Scheduling Conflicts

I just noticed that some of my Facebook invites were on the same nights as some shows I had already agreed to. So I had to say I was not attending, due to a scheduling conflict. I am starting to question the wisdom of even saying so, when I recall what had happened last month when attending a Wolves basketball game. So I guess it means just pressing the 'not attending' button. I called myself an 'invite whore' and unfortunately sometimes I get more than one invite a night. Hate having to say no to some people, but have no choice. Made a joke about if I should get into the cloning business, like a 'Simpsons' episode.
   Speaking of 'Simpsons' episodes, there was mention of them on my date today and again while onstage at the comedy club this evening. I mentioned three on the date, two of them after seeing a sturgeon in an aquarium at a mall. The third was about skunks going off after they're dead. I said my date was 'today's winner' on the episode reference, though it's rare that I think of three in such a short time.
  After the show I shook hands with some of the patrons, most memorable was a woman in a football jersey, Philadelphia Eagles if I'm not mistaken, who gave me her name. I think I'd be able to recognize her if she was there again. One of my friends was zinging me more than once, I could tell she was disgusted about her lack of success in the dating world. I often speak about dating while onstage. I liked that I gave her another joke idea.
  Watched a DVD this morning, a road movie called 'Tennessee', starring musician Mariah Carey. Liked seeing a vintage Mustang in it, one character said it was a 1967 model. I like road movies as I like to travel. It was a busier day than normal for me, where I had to move back chores like dishes, trash, and recycle to evening after the show.
  

While Doing Laundry

I heard about the shooting of Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on the radio when I was on my way to do laundry this afternoon. When I first heard she was shot in the head I figured she wouldn't make it, but later on it was reported she was in critical condition. This is typical of events like these- tragedies- where the media doesn't always have the facts straight. The other problem I had with it was how I just heard she was wounded, and not that others had been killed like a federal judge. I spoke of it while doing laundry, as I said I majored in history and had looked up assassinations on Wikipedia. It may become the first assassination of a U.S. House member since 1978, during the Jonestown cult massacre.
    I woke up kind of late this morning, just before noon, but didn't mind it at all since I got in more sleep than typical. I did my best to make a 'to-do' list as I get more done that way. After doing laundry I did get some of these errands done like getting a DVD at Blockbuster, along with a copy of 'Huck Finn' at Borders. After the dust-up this week about publishing a censored edition I decided to get a copy now in case the 'original' goes away. Censorship is wrong, especially when it's a case of people just can't get past one word. I am more likely to read a book after hearing it's been banned somewhere, as it becomes forbidden fruit. It's why I liked seeing a bumper sticker a few months back, it said 'any book worth banning is worth reading'.
   I went to a comedy show tonight, saw a few people I hadn't seen in a while, one of them was performing. First time at this venue in Minneapolis, though I had driven past it before. It was attached to a restaurant operated by some immigrants from Somalia. I ordered a sandwich and it arrived just as the show was starting.
   After the show I got a look at my laundry and put most of it away. I was annoyed to find out I needed to re-wash some of it manually as something had caked on a few of my pants and shirts. I've had plenty of troubles with this laundromat I've been to, such as much of the equipment is broken. So I'm not sure if I want to continue going there. Though it is giving me inspiration for some writings to enter in a poetry contest, the deadline is in a week.  
 

Addendum Completed

I asked my boss near the end of the workday about completing an addendum to the performance evaluation given to me the previous day. I guess I just wanted another chance to show off my writing skills, although I am already the note-taker at many meetings.
    I fell this morning on my left hip trying to make the bus. I was in a little pain throughout the day, but still got around fine with walking. I may want to see an urgent care provider to find out how bad it is, if it's just a bruise I will feel fortunate.
   It was a good idea to take tonight off and get caught up on record-keeping and resting. One needs time to sort through things literally and figuratively. I watched a little of the Cotton Bowl game on TV but not much. Also had some errand running I wanted to get done.
   I read an online article about writing good online dating profiles, and it gave me some good ideas about how to improve mine. So I added mention of how I do volunteering like the mentoring program through my employer, I figured somebody would be impressed with hearing about it. I hate to admit how it's been tough since I rebooted the profile this week that I'm mostly seeing closed matches, no takers yet. When this happened before I said it was an 'unmitigated failure' and decided to do something about it by re-writing my profile. Eventually, something will work if one is putting their best foot forward.
   When I was in my car tonight, I liked hearing a song on the radio, 'Concrete and Barbed Wire', by Lucinda Williams. It reminded me of being at a post office before where I heard her song 'Essence', I liked the lyric about 'waiting in my car'.
  

Evaluation Day

I did get my performance evaluation today, in the afternoon. It lasted longer than most I am sure since my boss likes to ask about my social life, but I was unwilling to share many things. I started noticing one thing about my stats, when I was number one in September it was due to taking no time off that month. I do like being a role player and helping out in any way possible.
    I called my college roommate tonight, he had just moved from Memphis, Tennessee to the eastern seaboard. When I have the time and money it would be nice to go there. I have 2 more holiday cards to send and plan on getting them ready tonight.
    I heard somebody mention 'hero at large' at work today, found out it was in reference to a book and not a movie from 30 years ago starring John Ritter. It is a movie I recall seeing when very young, about somebody being mistaken for a superhero.

4,000 Matches

I decided to do something long overdue today, and it was re-booting my online dating profile. This meant re-answering the questions in the personality profile, hadn't done it in more than 2 years since I first signed up. I think I just didn't want to take the time, but it didn't take long at all- about 30-45 minutes. I got some new matches right away, and a few have rejected me but I've told myself when things aren't working out it means needing to step back and re-evaluate. Something likely can be done better. If I fail now, it won't be due to lack of trying. I also know it's a matter of making sure I put my best foot forward each time too, something I still need to do more often. As my former boss and mentor said, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. With some matches I may have lost out due to being late or talking about myself too much. I know how to avoid these problems, it means way more effort on my part. After 4,000 matches and most of them aren't high quality it was time.
   An advisor on my social life is likely disappointed to hear this since he wanted me to give my lady friend another chance after she agreed to slow down. But something's wrong if I'm still ambivalent about somebody I've had 7 dates with.
  My boss still wasn't in today, so my performance evaluation will have to wait at least another day. I had a dental appointment after work, liked scheduling it on a day with no comedy shows and how I wouldn't need to leave work and then come back since it usually is a midday appointment. I made it over to a convenience store in my former neighborhood and they recognized me there, which was nice. Decided to eat before the appointment. Odd how well I've gotten to know the dental assistant there, almost by accident. I said one procedure was tough to handle if on a comedy show night since it meant having to wait to have a beer. I did share where 3 of my comedy clips could be found online, she said 'hope there aren't any dental jokes' although the visit did help me find more material.

Picking Up a Button

I had hoped to get a Winter Carnival button at lunchtime today, but the kiosk selling them was closed. But I knew a convenience store near me has them, so I picked one up after work. After that I went to the library and returned the DVD I watched this weekend, then on to Walgreen to find holiday cards on clearance. I don't like doing so much errand running before going to a comedy show but wanted to get all of it done tonight so Wednesday would be more free for resting and record-keeping.
   I liked how I helped a comedian friend due to Facebook, they spoke of hearing the term 'Colombian necktie' and I said it was in the movie 'K-9' starring Jim Belushi. Haven't seen it in a while, but I think I liked it more than 'Turner and Hooch'- same premise (dog and cop) and same year. I recalled how the song 'Ika Ika' was in it (also in "Rain Man", a favorite of mine) and how they run a 1965 Mustang through a carwash with the top down while the dog is still in it.
    The one thing I was able to accomplish at lunch is a rare event, hopefully will stay that way. I was in a rush to get to the ATM on Monday after work, wanting to make my bus on time, and pressed the wrong button. Asked for $40 and wanted just $20. So I put the other $20 back in, but it meant going to a teller.

New Month, New Bus Pass

One of the things I tend to do regularly at the beginning of a month at work includes getting a new bus pass. The current pass is good through the 7th but it's good to have the next one before the current one expires. Another thing I often do is go through my records and throw out the obsolete ones, as I toss them after 2 months. I keep the report page but send the support documents to recycle. But I kept a few pages that were funny to me, like one that said 'submitted to my work spouse for her disapproval'.
   My work spouse was out of the office today, when I found out I said 'that sucks!' and this is truly how I felt. I wanted to share more with her about recent dates,as she is one of the few I confide in. It also meant having to 'reshuffle to deck' to see we had the proper coverage. Bus was late after work, so I got back home later than normal so I was off to the comedy club after just a few minutes at home. It was nice to see all the people there of course, even though I wasn't picked. I like it when some of the new comics come to me for advice about the craft, or when one of them said they saw my clips online.
  Normally I don't pay much attention to syndicated reruns of 'According to Jim' but the one tonight reminds me of my life, about the brother in law having plenty of failed relationships. Although I am not as extreme, he claims he was 'cursed'. When he brought much of it on himself.
  

Larry Sanders Show DVD

I spent much of today watching a DVD on loan from the library, 'The Larry Sanders Show'. Chose it since I knew Janeane Garofalo, a favorite comic, was in it as a bit player. Liked the interviews as much as the actual episodes itself. There were interviews with Janeane, also Jeremy Piven and Sarah Silverman. But Sarah couldn't stop being loopy in the interview, I prefer subjects being more serious when being interviewed. Hard to say what was most memorable about it, maybe when the Jeffrey Tambor character, as the sidekick, did a gameshow skit and he was the host in a Hitler-type costume. Noticed how 'Family Feud' host Ray Combs was in one episode, proving it's a little dated now since Combs committed suicide over a decade ago. It was sad to hear about it, and it is whenever somebody does that.
  I did watch some of the pro football games today, though I fell asleep while watching the Bears-Packers game and nearly missed the ending. Bears were trailing 10-3 and that was the final score, due to being intercepted late. Had hoped to find Dick Enberg announcing a game, but he may have already started announcing college basketball for the season. Liked reading his book, called 'Oh My!'- also his favorite line to say while announcing. I like counting how often he will say it during a game. I recall saying 10 years ago how I watched a Ravens-Redskins game as he was announcing, since he's that good. Found out why after reading his book, he's a former college professor and profs don't butcher the English language. I think my earliest memory of his announcing games was Rose Bowls, with Merlin Olsen, on NBC. He has since moved to CBS.
    Went to the comedy club tonight, made it right before showtime so I didn't ask for stagetime. But I will have some for next week. It was fine, since I decided to write down jokes in my notebook, hadn't done that in a while. Confirmed that I was right on which comic informed me of covers to Beatles songs, he shared a link from Youtube on my Facebook page since I like getting music education. It was a weird video, the red wagon was important to the story, was paying attention to it more than the words. Need to listen to it again.
 

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

I of course wanted to pause a little and think about what I done on previous New Year's Eves and Days. Last year I was at a comedy show, no suprise there when I go to those often now. The club owner saw me and shook my hand then passed me in. A nice perk, something I had learned before. It helps to be willing to work events if one wants to get in free to events. Year before that I was in Tampa, Florida for my school's bowl game, the Outback Bowl. Had to work that NYE and caught a flight after work, arriving in Tampa around midnight, in time to see some of the fireworks off in the distance. There was also getting a costume for a nightclub celebration, a gangster outfit with a fedora and it was teal with black pinstripes. Made sure to get a picture in it, along with the mask. Since it was a masquerade. Had the picture done by a grocery store employee. At first the bouncer wouldn't let me in with that outfit on, but another said it was fine. Some loved the outfit! Another was spent at a dance club, though it wasn't much fun when I had no dance partner, ended up leaving early for this reason. Read about it in the paper, I think it got press since the reporter was related to the dance club owner. Some other memorable ones were when I lived in suburban Chicago. Moved there in 1998, and recall for NYE 1999 as we were counting down how I had the feeling of how right I was to have left Iowa and tried my luck in the big city. It was good to get that feeling, though odd how it was a feeling that arrived at that particular time! Or maybe not, since New Year's Day is about reflecting on things like I am doing now. 2000 wasn't too much fun, was ill with strep throat and mono after seeing 'the Grinch' starring Jim Carrey earlier in the day. I'm sure the movie had nothing to do with it, but I recall going to ER and referring to the movie when at triage. I was hyperventilating as I didn't know what was wrong. Ended up missing a day of work, upset about it since I lost holiday pay. Though it could have been worse. Those can be serious illnesses. I was needed at work, since we were lit up like a Christmas tree with calls after the Wards closure was announced and I was servicing ex-Wards life insurance policies at the time. 2001 was memorable as I went to a concert in nearby Rosemont, Barenaked Ladies. It purposely started later than normal, to ensure the band would be onstage at midnight. And the frontman spoke of a movie, 'Beautiful Mind', that I hadn't seen yet. I did see it eventually, he spoke of the main character deciding he was 'going to cure himself'. 2003 was also memorable, for various reasons. I think the main one was that it was the tail end of my time living there. The suburb I lived in, near O'Hare Airport, decided to get a ball like the one at Times Square and set it up near the public library in the middle of town. Though it malfunctioned and had to be started again. Also memorable for somebody I met there, who said he didn't live there but another suburb. He was proud of how the town had elected an Italian mayor, said most of the previous ones were German. Seemed like the wrong reason to me. He held up a sign that said 'play something Italian', I asked him if 'Ave Maria' was, he didn't think that was funny. He later asked me to pick up some big tins of pasta for him for a banquet, I did but it was odd that he wanted to speak in Italian there when asking a question, and the woman responded in English. She was born in Romania but had moved to Italy. I liked the woman who responded in English more, who wouldn't? After I was laid off, he called me and I said 'it would be hard to bother me at work now'. I just let the friendship fade, it was all just too weird to me when this was an eccentric old man. When I said I was moving out of state for work he wanted my new address, didn't give it. Also memorable was getting addresses of members of the military who weren't getting letters from anyone, I sent one but got no response at all. Wendy Lasseigne was her name if I'm not mistaken, hard to recall what branch of service she was.
  I do like New Year's Day more now than when I was a kid. I was always 'too young' to go to any of the celebrations and hated hearing that. When in college I hated it as I was just 2 months short of 21 one year, so I had to wait one more year. I think I stayed home and watched TV, a year later I taped the yearend countdown from MTV and may still have that tape to this day. That celebration was at a Moose Lodge in my hometown, went to the event since some of my family are members there.
   Didn't do all that much today, had another date, went over to her place and we ordered food that we picked up so we could stay in and talk some more. Before that I watched some of the Rose Bowl parade, saw a float break down and a tow truck stepped in to move it along. When I got home I eventually fell asleep for a few hours, then watched a rerun of Satruday Night Live, Rihanna was musical guest. She did 2 songs, 'What's My Name' and 'Only Girl'. Noticed how she changed her outfit between songs, good idea. The dress was less likely to cause a Janet Jackson-type 'wardrobe malfunction'. She had tugged at her top a little in the first song.