The Wild Collapsed

Went to the Minnesota Wild hockey game tonight, they lost to Nashville 5-4 after leading 4-1 at one point, and by 4-2 with 4 minutes left. It was a monumental collapse. But I did get 4 more Charlie Brown and Snoopy statue pictures at the "X', 2 before the game, 1 during the first intermission, and the last one after the game ended. The last one was hardest to find, as it was near a stairway that dead-ended. There were 5, and the other one I got a picture of earlier. It was one of the more common, and camera-friendly, events at the Xcel Center, so it made sense to have it as the outing for the pictures. There was a giveaway for a winter hat, so now I have another Wild item. I had a pair of socks, which I was wearing during the game, and a bath towel, which I had used last week. I saw a coworker there during the first intermission, letting him know I would be at the the game. He has a manufactured rivalry with a friend at work, because they like different NFL teams. A fan near me early in the game noticed I was wearing a Blackhawks sweater, I said it was durable and was holding up well since high school. I invited him to get me a Wild jersey, but I know they are expensive. I liked how a coworker, not the one I saw at the game, made it possible as I bought his season tickets for the night. On the way back to the car we saw some of the bronze statues in Landmark Park, and passed by Rice Park where the ice sculptures are for the Winter Carnival. But we didn't have the time to see the sculptures, will plan on doing so this weekend.
    On the bus on the way to work this morning I heard somebody doing a customer service call that was going nowhere. We had nearly reached our destination when they finally asked for a supervisor, and the ride to work is about a 20-minute bus ride. Why is it taking so long to refund my money? I kept hearing it and it was annoying.

Chasing Buses

Not to be confused with 'Chasing Pavements', a song I've heard before. Saw a regular rider of my bus board at a stop after me, usually they are already on before I board. When we reached our destination I let them know this. They alluded to how they had been chasing the bus for a while. If I miss it, I wait for the next one if I have time or I drive into work.
    At the comedy club tonight, there was an MC for the first time in a while, and I saw 2 people booted as they went over their time. I can usually tell who will be, as they aren't paying attention and don't know where the time light is. It is still a big deal to see 2 in one night, usually one is enough to wake up the others.
   This was a rare night in terms on not getting the 'Superamerica special' for dinner, as I wanted to finish up a Little Caesar's pizza I had bought over the weekend. I like having pepperoni, especially when it's cheap, and the shop is nearby. I've told myself how I like getting there once a month. Sometimes I just get pizza, this time I also got a bottle of Lipton brisk tea. Sometimes it means waiting a few minutes until one is available, no big deal. What was a big deal was how I had to cut some of the slices myself, as they were just partially cut.

Pool and Hotel Postcard

I think it is well known how I still have some ambivalence to my hometown of Newton, Iowa. But it is notable when I just bought 2 old postcards of my hometown from Ebay earlier today. One is from the Maytag pool, where I received some swimming lessons, The other is the Maytag hotel, now known as the Midtown building, near the county courthouse. I like postcards as they are small and cheap souvenirs, simple to store them. I do have some postcards from Newton already, as I recall I have 2 of the same kind. It has 4 smaller pictures on it, including the Maytag home office, county courthouse, county museum, and the town's welcome sign. It is nice to have postcards of properties on the National Register of Historic Places. I know the courthouse is listed, and so is the Maytag pool, as it is inside Maytag park. I also have cards of Emerson Hough school, but those are much bigger, and of course not postcards.
   On saturday I made it to the Metrodome to see the Twins fanfest, liked getting some small souvenirs there at what somebody once called a 'convention for baseball nerds'. Well that makes me a baseball nerd then, and proud of it! It included a piece of the Dome roof, a button from the 1987 World Series, and a patch of the now-defunct Minnesota Fighting Saints hockey team. Even though they played just 5 seasons back in the 1970s, sometimes one still sees plenty of their merchandise as hockey is popular in this state. Last but not least was the mini-helmet, signed by former Iowa Hawkeye quarterback Brad Banks. It was available from the Bob Feller museum in Van Meter, Iowa, which I toured the year it opened, in 1995. The salesman hoped I would get the larger Hawkeye helmet, life-sized, but it would have been way more. This is easier to store anyway, either at the office or at home.
   This evening, after chores like laundry were finished, I made it to Edina and saw a movie, 'Carnage', directed by Roman Polanski. I liked the John C. Reilly character in it, a reviewer called him 'affable' and this description is apt. Another accurate term would be an 'everyman'.
    As usual, I mark the time with music. At the fanfest, I heard 'Champagne Supernova' by Oasis. At a dinner later in the evening, at a Ruby Tuesday in Edina, it was 'Daughter' by Pearl Jam, a song that reminds me of being in college as it was popular then. At the comedy club Friday, it was 'Live Your Life' by T.I. and Rihanna, and as usual I point to myself saying 'my life' in the chorus, much like when I attended the Rihanna concert in June. This of course is in contrast to No Doubt covering 'It's My Life' by Talk Talk, where I point to the radio instead of myself when I hear it. I think this is due to the following line being 'don't you forget'.
   

Replacement Comedy Night

I attended a friend's comedy show tonight, the late show. He was MC, much like on open-mic night. It will largely replace a show next week that I am unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict. I liked the feeling of knowing 3 of the 4 performers onstage tonight, I knew all of them except the headliner. The feature was somebody I had seen do coemdy before, but not in a while. I liked their joke about dropping off a foreign exchange student at a Subway, who got upset when finding out it was a sandwich shop and not a train station. I hated the feeling of beign tired during the show, but I know this has happened before when I attend a late show. At the same time, I know it tends to be an easier ticket so I like going the 'path of least resistance' especially when I knew somebody who could get me in free. There are some nice perks to doing coemdy and having comedian friends. After the show I asked for a picture with the MC, as I didn't have a comedian friend in the 'ring of honor'. I don't count a tagged picture on Facebook from a show in Faribault last year, especially when the picture of me is a little unflattering. I do want a better one with that comic soon, I just need to ask for it when they're available.
  During lunch I walked over to Rice Park and I liked seeing the ice scultpures at the winter carnival. First time I can recall seeing them while still in progress so of course there were chainsaws nearby. I wanted to move up seeing them when I expect to be busy this weekend. In addition, I don't know how long they will last. If it warms up into the 40s, and it has before, then those things start melting. It was why I bought pictures taken by a professional photographer one year. Later on when I have more time, like the second weekend, I can go see the displays inside the Landmark Center. It hads given me some ideas of what buttons I wanted from previous years.

Chuck the Puck

I decided to 'chuck a puck' at a high school hockey game tonight. Cretin-Derham Hall played Stillwater at Charles Schulz Arena in St. Paul. Cretin won 6-4 despite trailing 3-0 after one period. Wasn't that good with the puck, but it cost just a dollar. The puck fell short of reaching the circle at center ice.
    Normally I like watching 'Big Bang Theory' tonight, but I had been checking the schedule online and said I wanted to get back to Schulz Arena. It was a big deal when I was there last year for a playoff game in February, as it became a rare Facebook posting. Tonight's game also became a posting. As a big Charlie Brown and Snoopy fan it made sense to get to this venue, since it is named for their creator. It's also nice to see the Snoopy statue inside. I know somebody who doesn't like seeing the statue roped off, as it leads to a less desirable picture, but I think it's due to wanting to discourage kids from climbing on it. I did see a kid climbing on it but didn't say anything. Another notable event, which came as no surprise, was hearing the 'Zamboni Song' by the Gear Daddies. It is a popular one to play at hockey arenas, especially when the machine is clearing the ice. When another spectator saw my Iowa Hawkeye coat I said I was a native of the state, he spoke of having an Army buddy who was an instructor there but I didn't know him.  

Flanders at the Nuthouse

Tonight I saw a syndicated rerun of the 'Simpsons' that may be my favorite episode, it was when Flanders went to the nuthouse after a hurricane destroyed his home. There are so many good jokes in it, like being asked to be carried to his room kicking and screaming. Then there was the U of Minnesota spankalogical study, and how he's cured because he said he hates his parents. Of course Homer provides a good foil to Flanders here, bringing out his true feelings as Homer pushes him.
   I like finding music on Youtube, and found a version of Pearl Jam's 'Smile' that I like. The visual was of a Charlie Chaplin movie, made it more fun. Also decided to watch Chaplin's 'Great Dictator' final speech. This led to seeing 2 versions of Lincoln's Gettysburg address, recited by Jeff Daniels and Johnny Cash.
  I found out later on it made sense how Daniels would do one of these I found, as he was in a movie called 'Gettysburg' that I may have seen part of. I've seen it for sale before in stores.
  At the comedy club tonight I saw a friend who was in town from California, let them know I knew about their show Saturday but was unable to attend, already had dinner plans made. So I said I could be their 'superfan' tonight.

Gameshow Skit

When I was at the comedy club tonight, a comedian friend did a gameshow skit as MC of the show. I arrived just as he was doing the skit. I don't like being late at all, but it's hard to balance this with wanting to get things done after work. Another comedian friend did a joke about somebody who wanted to be a life coach, I said it made me think of a card that was given to me at the workplace where there is a toll free number for the 'health coach'. I guess this is a byproduct of a culture that loves sports, where somebody who helps you is often called a 'coach'. Same friend has been doing a joke about the Penn State scandal, that seems to be better than the others I've heard. He refers to the Sandusky interview with Bob Costas, how this accused man has now taken away the word 'horseplay' from us. I inquired about his performance schedule coming up, but at this point I am unsure as to what shows I can go to, especially when some are out of state and I don't know what days are still open in my schedule.
   The MC later informed me about being onstage at the same club for the rest of the week, so I will have to see about getting to another show. Since I already have plans on Saturday, then Friday works better. In many ways it 'replaces' a comedy night next week that I will have to skip as I have tickets for a hockey game.

Scraping Frost

I still had to scrape frost this evening before making it over to the comedy club, after doing so multiple times the previous day. Made it just in time to get signed up for the night. Parked in the lot, then re-parked on the street after finding the signup sheet. Needed to find a pen that worked, found one on the second try. I read 3 different papers, one of them USA Today, about the passing of Joe Paterno. It was a front page article. I like what I learn about famous people, and sometimes not everything is known until the obit is written.
   I know why I had to scrape again, it was due to not going anywhere by car until the evening. But I prefer avoiding this task as much as possible, it's not much fun having to reach to get all of it, or at least enough where I can see well enough to drive.
   It had been a while since I did the 'reparking' thing, but I do like saving on the parking fee if I can. When the spots on the street are free after 6pm, I like using them more. I haven't paid for parking for a while at the club, realized I didn't need to. The main thing is dodging the plows during snow emergencies, but there hasn't been near as many this winter.
    Typically I just buy the paper on Friday so I have the movie times for the weekend, but when there is an article I really want to read I will buy it on other days. I don't read it enough to have a subscription like before, I had one for the Des Moines paper when I lived in Valley Junction, for a year and a half after college in Iowa City.
  
     

You're a Good Man

Saw the play 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown' in Bloomington in the afternoon. As a big fan of the comic strip I liked getting to see it, as the story followed the comic strip really close. My bucket list may be unoffical, but seeing this play sure was important to me. Just a few scenes left me feeling puzzled, one of them was related to the security blanket Linus is known for, where the other 5 characters came out with theirs. Another was Snoopy going to chase rabbits with Sally, also don't recall it from the strip or the TV specials. But all of the themes I knew were depicted, like Lucy and her psychiatric help, Schroeder playing the piano and speaking well of Beethoven, the gang playing baseball, and Snoopy as the World War I flying ace. I got a good look at the display case of the town's history, it said the town is the state's 4th largest. Near the enttrance to the theater was an imitation Snoopy doghouse, I got a picture of it. The refreshment table had an old school bell on it where one server rang it to let customers know the intermission was nearly over.
     Also notable today was the news from Penn State, as football coach Joe Paterno died. Much like Alabama coach Bear Bryant, it just a few months after finishing as coach. Arizona politician Gabrielle Giffords will be stepping aside, just over a year after being shot in the head. According to one online article, under the state's law the seat must be filled with a special election until the general election in November. It depends on what laws are on the books in each state as to how vacant political offices are filled. She hadn't been to Washington much since being shot, I think she made it for one vote, on the debt ceiling in August.

Fond Du Lac

The first thing I got around to doing after leaving home today was to visit an antique shop on St. Paul's east side. I had been informed by the twin sisters who helped me acquire a Winter Carnival button how there would be plenty to find at this place as well. I wasn't sure, when I went online and all the pictures I saw were of furniture. But it was worth a try, as I bought 3 buttons for a total of $8. It included ones from 1976 and 1986, as those were anniversary editions, of course the nation's bicentennial and the carnival's centennial. The third was a Charlie Brown and Snoopy button, with a trophy outline and Snoopy shaking hands with Woodstock, with a caption of 'Great Job'. I wanted to look around some more but didn't have the time, as I wanted to get over to Minneapolis to see a basketball game at Roosevelt High School. The Teddies were playing Fond Du Lac Ojibwe, from Cloquet near Duluth. I stayed for the first half, Roosevelt was up by 18. I bought some popcorn and left. I needed to continue my errand running, which was to get to Bloomington for a dry run on attending a play the next day about the Charlie Brown and Snoopy comic strip. I picked up advance tickets as I like the peace of mind, knowing I'm getting in. When I spoke of of it being on my 'must see' list, along with 'Our American Cousin', the ticket seller said they would forward it on. I know the latter isn't likely to happen, as the reason why I want to see it is the same reason why it's hard to find, since it was the play being shown when Lincoln was assassinated. But it's still worth a try. I was impressed with the size of the community center there, a big green roof that one can see from off in the distance.
   In the early evening I had a date where I went to see a hockey game, the Minnesota Gophers were at Mariucci Arena. My date had attended Colorado College, and wanted to see them play this school. Gophers won 2-1, CC won by the same score on Friday. It was tied after one session, after CC scored first. Then the Gophers went ahead early in the second. We let the traffic clear after the game, by deciding to eat before going anywhere. There was a Jimmy John's sandwich shop near the arena, I like the wall art.  

Jesus Shaved

I went to an event at the Loft in Minneapolis tonight after work. There was a happy hour of sorts for members, and I am one. I decided to get a cup of pinot noir wine, by Bluefin. Even though there was Grainbelt beer available, I don't need it all the time, and I have it at the comedy club anyway. Liked all of the cheese there, I had plenty. Some was cheddar, others was smoked gouda. After the happy hour, there was a reading from a performer, who had a book signing after Q and A. She read from 2 chapters, also performed 5 songs. One was about the book '7 Habits of Highly Effective People', the last was called 'Jesus Shaved' about Jesus getting a job in corporate America. The book was about a rock star named Mary in Glasgow. Other songs were about the 'unsung' heroes, and about a fallen angel. Someone kept fidgeting near me during the reading, but I wanted to be polite and said nothing. It was an older man, he may have had something like Parkinson's disease. Somebody came to me and asked if their coat was on the chair, it wasn't. I was near the back of the auditorium, only seat in the row. Since it was nearly full when I arrived, I decided to claim the seat right away before someone else did. I like seeing people good at their craft, and I like when I get to events like these as much as possible. The performer spoke of somehow being related to Rufus Wainwright, a Canadian musician I've heard of as he did a version of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' for the first 'Shrek' movie.
  Another notable event was an appointment around midday, and it was slow going due to the snow. In the physician's office I was told was a picture of the church in St. Petersburg, Russia. Looked a lot like Red Square in Moscow. Since I was in my car for a while to and from it there was plenty of music I heard, like 'The Concept' by Teenage Fanclub. It is likely getting more airplay than typical for a 20-year-old song due to being in the movie 'Young Adult', which I saw last month. I missed it when it was on the charts if it was back in October 1991, I recalled Nirvana's 'Teen Spirit' way better from that year. I stayed at the office for more than 30 minutes past my normal leave time as I didn't get back as quickly as expected, so there still was some time to make up.
   Before the appointment I picked up a St. Paul Winter Carnival button from 1973, I wanted it since there was a covered wagon on it, a reminder of Emerson Hough, who else? The woman selling this year's buttons said there was one available. I didn't act quick enough when I saw one on E-bay. It was why I acted quick after seeing a listing for one from 1990, which has the 'big red one' on it, referring to the landmark sign from the First National Bank building downtown. Already had another one from 1990, with Snoopy on it, going down a hill with a snowman on the back of the sled. I may want to get a few more from previous years, E-bay has over 100 items when entering 'Saint Paul Winter Carnival' in the search engine. I did get this year's button registered as this was the final day to do so. It was registered online after getting back from the Loft. Unsure if I had done that before, but there must be some good prizes from the sponsors.
   I try to take notes where and when I can, and I had some notes from the Loft event written on a bank receipt from January 5. It was right before I went to Chicago for the weekend for a historian convention evidenced by me writing down directions for the trains there. It said take the Blue line from O'Hare Airport to the Red line in the Loop, then about an 8-minute walk to my hotel.
   The notes from a comedy show I attended, probably from Tuesday January 3 are there. I seemed to remember the jokes I didn't like more than the ones I did. Didn't like the one about 'Marco Polio', especially when the Jonas Salk vaccine was decades ago. But it was insensitive anyway. Another got the name wrong on the football coach accused in the Penn State scandal, it was Jerry Sandusky not Larry. A comedian friend nearby echoed it. The next one was about things they dreaded, saying they would rather masturbate with a cheese grater. It was a stolen joke, as Andrew Clay used it in the movie 'Ford Fairlane'. The last one I really liked, it was about a comedian who brings his dad to shows. The comic onstage said if his dad was a part of his comedy career on the same level, he wouldn't need to be a comedian. I concur, as many of us are broken and we turn to comedy as therapy. Sometimes I go a few weeks before cleaning out my wallet, but eventually it is necessary when there can be too many receipts. And I like stapling the ones from Superamerica separately when they are gleaned out so I can keep track of how many points I have in their loyalty program.

Kodak in Chapter 11

It meant something to me when I saw an article how Eastman Kodak has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. I once had one of their cameras, an oblong 110. It was a simple camera that some called it a 'kid's camera'. But I don't mind having simple to use cameras. It was said how the company pioneered digital photography, but was left behind in this market. I am reminded of the references to the brand name in pop culture, like Cletus in 'Smokey and the Bandit' saying he just passed another Kojak with a Kodak. Or Pitbull the rapper speaking of a Kodak. Then there's the Barrow gang in the movie 'Bonnie and Clyde' referring to it when wanting a group picture.
   I picked up an extension cord tonight on my way to a comedy show, realized I needed one for my electronics. Normally I take this day off from the clubs, but stagetime was offered. I was pleased as to the venue, the 400 Bar in Minneapolis. First time there, plenty of wall art from local musicians, especially the band Soul Asylum and their album/CD 'Grave Dancers Union', which I own. Other art included the Replacements and their album 'Pleased to Meet Me', another one I own but not until I moved to the area as it still would get played a lot on the radio. I was thrilled to say I have been on the same stage as these bands, or even the Jayhawks, though I don't know as much about them.
    What I wasn't thrilled about was the weather, as it was subzero outside and not much warmer inside the venue. I kept my coat on for most of the night, taking it off only when I went onstage. I was third after the MC, then helped the show closer with a gameshow skit. One performer kept her coat on while onstage. I had been in the same general area before, as it is just down the street from the Corner Bar and the Round Theater, the former is another place I have performed at.

I Want Popcorn

I took a short lunch, wanting to make up time in advance as I was preparing for an appointment later in the week. A colleague followed up about the bus routes, and one going to the Dome also goes to the Target arenas. He had asked me for advice about buses the previous day, I did my best based on what I knew. There was one that is slow as it makes plenty of stops on University Avenue, I avoid it if I want a quick ride, and all the more reason during the light rail construction. I have taken an express bus that goes between the two cities, but I get off at the Metrodome and had no knowledge of where it went after that. I didn't need to know, I advised to get on the light rail at the Dome. But it is nice how he followed up with me, as it helpd me as well.
   At the comedy club tonight, I switched my seat twice as the server didn't see me. I wondered why I was getting passed by, and figured it would make a difference but it didn't. Then I finally went up the stairs and placed my order, I wanted some popcorn and a beer. Usually the server will come to you and ask if you need anything, then there's less of a need to be proactive.

No Rear View

When I was driving to the comedy club tonight, I was in such a rush to get there that I didn't notice at first how I had no rear view since there was snow covering up much of the back glass. So when I was stopped at a light I got out my snow brush and took care of it, and got back into my car before the light changed. It may not have been like this for the entire ride, but long enough. I know there is plenty of snow on the roof that can move around when making a turn.
    I mailed some letters, 4 in all, after the show as I was too busy at lunchtime to take care of them then. Didn't want to wait much longer on sending them, especially when one was a utility bill. Picked up another quart of egg nog as well, at the grocery store there was just 9 cartons left after I chose mine. I figured there wouldn't be many left, and a good idea I went when I did. If I waited until my typical weekly grocery shopping visit over the weekend they probably would have been sold out. After I checked out the woman behind me in line asked me where I got it, she said her son liked eggnog. I said it was in the dairy section.
   Naturally, I care more about the back glass than the side mirrors. But it does make me think of a Pearl Jam song I like, called 'Rearview Mirror'. I took a drive today, to emancipate. Saw things so much clearer once you were in my rearview mirror. Seemed appropriate after hearing about being dumped a number of years back. Music can have answers when other things don't.

St.Francis and The Firefighter

I saw 2 notable statues today, one was of St. Francis of Assisi in Minneapolis next to a church, St. Olaf. Another was of the firefighter memorial inside MSP airport, something that's had plenty of media attention lately. There is interest in fundraising so it can be moved to a location where the public can see it more like the state capitol. The cops (or peace officer) memorial is already at the capitol grounds. I think I had seen it at the airport before, but didn't know much about it until the media attention happened. It's in baggage claim in the main terminal next to a playground, on the end with the exit from international flights.
   I saw the former as I went into Minneapolis for a dinner date, I had the day off for the Martin Luther King holiday and my date did not. Since I am not in downtown Minneapolis much I wanted to get a good look around. I even made it over to the Bobby and Steve's near the Metrodome as I like how they have small Godfather's pizzas. They're real cheap if bought cold, so I take them home and heat them up. I bought 2, a pepperoni and sausage. I am aware of how the title sounds like 'St. George and the Dragon', I had to look it up on Wikipedia before as there had been passing references to it. The story date back to the Crusades apparently.
   I made it onstage tonight at the comedy club, first time at this club in a while. Felt good how some new jokes worked well. I did one early on about hurting my knee while falling over the weekend, I thought of it again how it had to be first after stumbling a little to get onstage.

Maytag Blues song

When searching videos on Youtube about Maytag and my hometown of Newton, Iowa, I found one about having the 'Maytag blues', and they didn't mean the blue cheese made there. I was most moved by the lyric about how my hometown's gone bust, and politicians don't seem to care. Another one I found was from the BBC in 2008, which spoke of the racetrack arriving. Lot of good it does, as those are seasonal jobs.
   I thought of it again after calling my dad tonight, hadn't done this in a little while. I said I had seen the recent Maytag/Newton videos on Yahoo, he had seen them as well as they were on local TV. He had toured the guesthouse for sale in the video, when he was an employee.
  As usual it was entertaining and inspiring to call my dad. He spoke of having a bat in his house in rural Iowa, and how he didn't mean to kill it, just wanted to open the door and let it out. He then spoke of bats getting into the church, I do recall this once before. Another time he said a boy from the church helped him trap a bat and then sent it across town to a park where it was let go.
   He did say once again how he would like to see me do comedy, and I thought it was odd how I had to explain the differences between being paid and perks. You get money with one and get free things with the other. He also spoke of Michele Bachmann again, about how she won the Iowa straw poll, but of course she quit the race for president after a dismal showing in the Iowa caucuses this month.
   I got my laundry done around noontime, and while waiting I read the paper which spoke of a play I wanted to see that just opened. It is 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'. Since I am a big fan of the comic strip, and enjoy reading the Friday paper so I can also have the movie times for the weekend, I am thankful I found it. Liked seeing 2 little girls singing and dancing at the laundromat, and they also used a tie as part of the dancing, like from a bathrobe.
    Also made it to the company's free fitness center for the first time in a while, near the final hour of the day. One of the football playoff games was on, the second game of the day, Giants/Packers. It was around halftime when I left to go shower. After laundry was done I went to a Dairy Queen and had one of those 'chicken and fries' baskets since I had a coupon for it. Also used another gift card, JC Penney, now down to 3, as I needed some apparel. In the evening I thought about doing the typical watching of 'The Simpsons' but reminded myself I had the Redbox movie and wanted to get it back during the first day. So I watched it instead. It was 'The Reunion', I went with it since another one I wanted was unavailable. Nice story about a dysfunctional family working together, plenty of action in it. It is the first Redbox rental of the year, and 4th overall. I will likely rent more this year than last, and it shouldn't take long either. The brothers did a reference to 'Bonanza', as that show was also apparently about 3 brothers with the same father but different mothers.
   I would have liked getting more cleanup done, but finishing laundry was priority and I still have more time Monday since I am off for the holiday. A notable thing from doing laundry was retiring a pair of unmatched socks, my only such pair. There were holes forming in both, so it was time. I ripped them up and tossed them in the trash. One was blue with a small argyle pattern, the other black.

The Artist movie

I reached 150,000 miles on my car this afternoon, while driving back from a movie in Edina, 'The Artist', a black and white movie about the end of the silent movie era. I liked seeing some actors I knew in it like James Cromwell and John Goodman. When reading the review in the paper, mention of these actors helped with deciding to go see it.
   This evening it meant getting started on cleanup, and I went through mail and got 3 small checks written and ready to be mailed. I went from 6 to 4 on my gift cards, used up the ones from Dairy Queen and Subway. Decided to get 2-for-1 Dairy Queen Blizzards  since I had a coupon available. The typical 'eat one there, take one home' happened. It was a little slick on the roads after the snow, I felt my car sliding a little. So I decided not to attend a comedy show tonight despite having a Facebook invite. There were things I needed to get caught up on anyway like going through old mail that had been filed away. Also got the dishes, recycle, and groceries done so it leaves relatively few errands for Sunday, basically just laundry. And of course seeing a movie since I got one at Redbox inside a McDonald's, but didn't get around to watching it tonight. Liked seeing 'Life to the Max' on WCCO after the late news, there was a feature about former Vikings player Fran Tarkenton. Didn't watch much of the NFL playoffs, 2 games today. I mainly watched some of the second since I was ready for the late news, New England was winning big by then over Denver.

Scott Pelley

I found another video about my hometown. It was a follow up to the '60 Minutes' feature by Scott Pelley back in 2010. It was right before the Iowa caucuses earlier this month. It said very little has changed since the feature over a year ago. Sad how a once-proud town is now a shell of its former self.
   Maybe this is evident by what the asking price is for the properties in the 'must see' Yahoo videos, which is what prompted me to see if there was any more. The office complex is for sale for a dollar, and the guesthouse is also for sale for a discount, just over a half million but likely valued at way more as well. This is no joke apparently, an ad in the Wall Street Journal listed the 6 buildings for this amount. But the current owner, a phone company who bought it from Maytag and Whirlpool, no longer uses it due to consolidation and claims it is costing them over a million to keep it. This likely means the taxes are still for a much higher assessed value. One commenter asked why the heir doesn't buy it, since he owns Anchor Brewing in San Francisco. But I checked and he sold the brewery in 2010. The one for the office complex has had way more views than the guesthouse, as it was on the front page next to a video about the band Van Halen. As of this morning, it had over 50,000 views, by the end of the day over 70,000. I think the other video had been viewed about a tenth as much.
   I also decided to find another '60 Minutes' feature Scott Pelley did about the economy, it was from Wilmington, Ohio, and the layoffs after DHL, the package delivery company, closed a facility in what was a former Air Force base. A colleague at work said he didn't see the Newton feature, but saw the Wilmington feature. Most notable was somebody who made hunting knives.

Shower Curtain Rings

I got another pair of boxers at Macy's since the visitor card was extended 3 more days that I got in Chicago.
Also decided to pick up a few other items at other stores, like a shower curtain at Target as mine was grimy and had just started to tear from the rings. reminded me of the movie 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' as the John Candy character, Del Griffith, was a shower curtain ring salesman. 'Best in the World'. It was a raod movie that I enjoyed a lot, even though I didn't see it at the theater. Also decided to get some popcorn at Target, there was as decent sized bag for a dollar and change, I ate half of it on the way home.
 When looking at Yahoo's front page, there was mention of videos about my hometown of Newton, IA. The Maytag home office complex, and the guest house near a golf course, are for sale. The videos came from KCCI, the CBS affiliate in Des Moines. I grew up in Newton and had no idea where the guest house was. But there aren't many golf courses in town, one of them is the bankrupt country club. Judging by the street address given in an article in the Newton Independent, it is likely near the country club. I know another golf course is known as Westwood, but I think it is actually outside the city limits.

The Wisdom

A comedian friend was interested when hearing about this blog, and expected it to be called something like 'The Wisdom'. There probably is some wisdom in it, as the saying goes beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We spoke after the show, he had just finished as MC.
    I searched for some music on Youtube, and found an instrumental song called 'Music Box Dancer', I recalled hearing it often when I was younger. I am still trying to think of what triggered the memory, unless it was a recent car (specifically SUV) commercial with an instrumental song, showing the vehicle in the snow. it had some piano in it as well.
    I think a furniture store in Des Moines, known as Homemakers Plaza, liked having the song in their TV ads. When there was no words, for a while I just knew it as the 'Homemakers Plaza song'. I later found out the true title when it was on one of those ads for music compilations, 'call now', like those Time/Life infomercials for 30 minutes. But it was part of a short commercial, and offered by some other company. Also liked reading the Wikipedia article about the song, by a Canadian named Frank Mills. It was a #3 hit in America in 1979, the disco era.
    When I searched I also found an Eminem song, 'Music Box'. First time I had heard of it. There was even an "Alvin and the Chipmunks" version of the Eminem song.

Contraband Movie

Went to an advance screening of 'Contraband' starring 'Marky Mark' tonight at the Southdale theater in Edina. I had seen some heist movies before, one of them was even called 'Heist', and it did remind me of those from earlier. Some seats were reserved, I recognized the name on one of them, a movie critic from the Minneapolis paper. He happens to be a Facebook friend, since we have mutual friends I found out about his page. Someone left behind plenty of popcorn, so I grabbed a handful out of the bag before I left.
   I had seen many of Wahlberg's movies before, like 'Invincible' as well as 'Fighter', and 'Departed'. So this helped on wanting to see if I could get tickets for it. I saw the email saying I had won tickets when I was in Chicago over the weekend. I had seen an ad in the Minneapolis paper on a Friday over a week ago, which spoke of entering the contest for tickets. I had done an advance screening before, the first 'Shrek' movie when I lived in suburban Chicago nearly 11 years ago. Getting in free is nice. I got a poster then, still have it. But I didn't see any at this screening for whatever reason.
   My date did cringe at times during the movie, early on I questioned if it was a good idea to have them attend with me. But I was informed later on how just horror movies weren't on their list. There was some violence in it, which led to the cringing. Since the cast was mostly men, it is definitely a 'manly movie', another reason why it appealed to me.
   When leaving I was surprised to see Alvin and the Chipmunks statues at the theater, I was surprised they made them to promote movies, usually I just see the big cardboard posters if not the common paper posters which are framed outside near the door. I had seen some movies there before, but not too often as there are closer theaters. I think I saw 'Cinderella Man' there late on a Saturday night.  

Clown Comic

I saw a comic in clown makeup tonight at the club. When we shook hands I could tell he had warm gloves on, maybe work gloves. The comic was second on the list tonight, the first went over his time.
  One comedian friend was there tonight that I see infrequently, he got 5 minutes of stagetime. As expected I was busy at the office, Mondays tend to be like that when it's payoff reports. In fact I worked through my lunch and didn't tell my boss about it as I just wanted to get caught up. Actually my immediate boss was absent today, but I still didn't tell anyone- colleagues or managers. They don't need to know.
   I did go out in thr early afternoon, to use a visitor pass from Macy's that I got over the weekend. I got a pair of boxers since I needed some, and the pass got me 10 percent off.
   When I was coming back, I saw how the popcorn wagon in the skyway was open for business, since i like popcorn I got a small bag. I tend to avoid having it at the movies, since it is really expensive there.
    I had another odd dream, and to some it may top the one from the previous day. I wanted to write off the earlier one as being in a hotel room, not my typical bed. I was kneeling, and naked, but still covered up in a robe, trying hard to hide being naked. I must have been in a store, as I kept looking at dresses on the rack, different sizes, all yellow.
    I have an even harder time analyzing this one. One of the Charlie Brown and Snoopy statues I've found around town happened to be a Lucy in a yellow dress with white dots, it's what I can think of first. But I'm stumped about the part where I'm naked. How did I get there? That would be my first question. I am familiar with how apparently the most common dream is being naked in public. So maybe I'm not drifting far from the norm here.

Ray Kroc's 1st McDonalds

I got 2 pies from McDonald's in Des Plaines before getting on the plane back home earlier today. It was nice to remember where I had once lived, and seeing what was the same and what was different. Saw a smart phone app as a sticker on the back window of a taxicab, seemed like and odd place for one. The McDonald's I went to happened to be a true landmark, across the street from Ray Kroc's first back in 1955. I had toured it before, now a museum. But like many museums, it is mostly open during summer. I liked seeing the 1955 model cars, 4 in all, parked out front when I toured it.
  I drove around quite a bit in the rental car looking at the area, including Randhurst Mall in Mt. Prospect, which lost some anchor tenants and became a 'dead mall' so it was reinvented, now a hotel is in the middle of the site. Then there was Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, where I sometimes ate since it was close to work. I was familiar with how there is a comedy club there now, called Improv. But it appears to have no open-mic nights based on the hours of operation given.
   I had a disturbing dream this morning, I was just whaling on a teenager and said 'next time it's worse, and I will call the police'. I woke up when I had just said 'I am over 30'. Don't know what it means, though I try to analyze my own dreams. I don't see myself as being a violent person, though I was bullied when in school, and at church as well. Something I dealt with recently must have triggered it, I know I can have delayed reactions to certain events like when I eventually realized somebody was just patronizing me more than likely. This is how I felt after an exhibitor at the historian convention wanted to tease me about the hockey sweater I was wearing. But it still doesn't explain why I'm beating on a teenager in the dream.
    Even though there was 2 days worth of mail waiting, there wasn't much that was really important. It is nice to be home, as expected it didn't take long to unpack, as much of what I bring back is dirty clothes.

Historian Convention

Saw the Rock and Roll Mc Donald's this morning, had a breakfast sandwich there. Liked seeing a Corvette on display in a separate building. There was a metal Charlie Brown and Snoopy lunchbox in one display case inside the main store when covering the decade of the 1960s, the history of the chain as well as what went on in the world at the time.
    Today was more researching at Newberry, but this time I didn't have anything copied. It would have been too expensive to copy all 40 pages of one pamphlet about Emerson Hough books. Hopefully I can find a used copy online somewhere. Since it closed early on a Saturday I knew I needed to get there early, and I didn't want to lug around my bag for long so I went there before checking out of the hotel. I got back just before checkout time, then it was on the train to Union Station to get my bag in a storage locker there while looking around the city. I ended up paying for 2 lockers as the first one locked before I got my bag in, but the first one cost way less since I realized it right away. The one I actually used was much bigger, but I had to got with what was available. After looking around inside and getting some ice cream at the McDonald's location, which had plenty of cool railroad signs inside it, I walked over to Navy Pier to get a picture of the Bob Newhart statue given by Nick at Nite TV-Land. As a big fan of his sitcom from the 1970s I was pleased to find out about it when reading his Wikipedia page. After I got my picture, a woman with some teenage girls sat down on the adjacent sofa for their picture.
    When I got to the convention, I did sit in on parts of 2 lectures, one was about TV arriving in Nepal and how shows like 'Miami Vice' and 'A-Team' were shown a lot since they were cheaper to air than their own shows. The other one was about education in the Progressive era, bringing American standards to newly acquired territories like Alaska and Puerto Rico and the Philippines. I got a book in the exhibit section about rap music, and there was plenty of mention of Eminem as expected, but also of lesser-known performers like Marky Mark, now an actor.   
   I walked back to Union Station to pick up my bag, then rode the train back to O'Hare Airport, the end of the line. It was where I experienced another 'what are the odds?' moment. The operator saw me walking past after reaching the end of the line, and called my name. I had to figure out where he knew me from, after he spoke of those we had worked with I knew it was from the office I currently work in, but a different department. It was a gig I haven't had in over 5 years. I shook hands with him and said I was in town for a historian convention, on my way to the Wolves hockey game.
    I needed to get the rental car before heading to the game, thankfully the event site was close to the airport, in Rosemont. I made it as player introductions were happening. I had wanted to eat before arriving as it was cheaper, but I cared more about getting there before gametime. Wolves won 3-1, after trailing 1-0 when Lake Erie scored their goal in the first minute. Wolves scored all of their goals in the second, first was a top shelf in the other side of the net from where the goalie defended. Second was shot in after it hit the post and was picked up on the other side of the net. Third was shot between the goalie's legs and dribbled in. Wolves are known for their player introductions, bringing out metal wolf's feet that spit out fire.
   Notable events were Girl Scout night, plenty of lively fans. Gearing up for the cookie sale season apparently. The other was dog adoption night, a favorite charity for one of the owners.
   Hockey fans can be fun, one fan yelled at somebody blocking their view by saying 'take a seat! figure it out, Andre the Giant!' Plenty of good music played on the loudspeaker, like Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance'.
   After the game I made it over to my hotel in Elk Grove Village, after watching the news I went out to a grocery store to get a beer and some peanuts. I like the relaxed feeling while writing about my travels, I've done it for a while. The clerk carded me and said 'Minny-sota' when seeing my ID, I guess it was funny to them.
    

Jane Addams Hull House

Just arrived at the historian convention and got registered this morning. The site is a Sheraton hotel just a few blocks away from where I am staying. I experienced a 'what are the odds?' event early, when at the information desk asking a question, as I recognized the name on somebody's tag passing by. It was Albert Beveridge III, and of course I had just done an entry earlier this week with this title. I said 'like the Indiana senator?' and he said yes.
   I  heard a Lady Gaga song, 'Poker Face', at a 7-11 when I was buying a postcard. Made it to a Dunkin Donuts and got a blueberry muffin. Then it was on to mail the postcard to a friend who had requested it, so I went to the nearby Fort Dearborn post office. It was on Dearborn street, and I was familiar with how this was the city's name when it was a military fort, especially during the war of 1812. The city seal says the city was incorporated in 1837.
   I wanted to do some researching on Emerson Hough while in town, and it meant getting to the Newberry Library. I decided to walk there, wanted to lose some weight and save some train fare. I liked seeing 2 portraits at the level where the guard is in front, they were of Lincoln and Grant. Apparently they were owned by the library's benefactor. I found 2 items of interest to me, on the same floor. I copied one myself from microfilm and the other was copied for me. I would have stayed longer but wanted to get to the Jane Addams Hull House Museum at UIC, which closed at 4pm and is not open on Saturdays. I got there about an hour before closing, enough time to tour it. I learned something while there, like how she was a founder of the ACLU and NAACP. The Nobel Peace Prize was on display, and there was mention of Studs Terkel observing the demolition. At first I was confused, but then found out most of the complex was leveled for UIC, all but 2 buoldings which now serve as the museum. The dining hall was where the gift shop was found. One guest made a joke about this part of history, where the case went all the way to the Supreme Court where the court ruled for the university. He said it was 'urban removal' instead of 'renewal'. Thankful I finally made it after first reading about her in social studies class in 3rd grade, along with other famous Chicagoans like Swift, McCormick, and Pullman.
    I made it back to the convention site in the early evening, had a beer and key lime pie at Don Shula's restaurant, named for the former pro football coach. Then it was on to the awards ceremony, and I was sitting next to one of the honorees, who was from Princeton. There were 2 Beveridge awards, one for history books and the other for history instrcutors at the high school level as I recall. I liked the baquest food after the ceremony, plenty to choose from on meats like little hot dogs. I really like the pienapple chunks and the slices of cheese.

Lord of the Flies

Finished 'Lord of the Flies' on the bus this morning. I liked reading the end part that wasn't part of the text as it gave more background information about the book and its author. It mentioned translations of certain words like the Greek word for the devil, suggesting the Lord of the Flies was the devil. I know this depends on what edition of a book is acquired of course.
    I had dinner at a Subway sandwich shop nearby, then packed in a rush for the weekend in Chicago at the convention. I say there usually is one thing I don't pack and would have liked having, I will find out soon enough what this item or items is.
    I keep proving how I have a talent for making people laugh. This was evident when I was at the gate ready to board the plane and the agent said 'movers and shakers' after some answered the call to board. I said it was the first time I had referred to as a mover and shaker.
   The plane was a small one, a regional or commuter plane, and I was invited to take a seat in another row as the plane was just half full. I said I would like it even better if I was upgraded to first-class, the attendant said it was one thing that couldn't be done. When served a drink I was called 'boss' which is still funny to me. It reminds me of being at the Eminem concert at Madison Square Garden in NYC in 2005, when somebody asked me if I was there to see that performer. I gave a succinct response: 'yep'.
    The train ride from O'Hare Airport into the city was nice. I got a little turned around after getting off at my stop, which has happened before. But what I've learned is not to panic, I knew I was close. If it looked unfamiliar after studying the route on a map in advance, then try the other direction and it worked.
   When I got to the hotel, I noticed a problem with the elevator after ordering it. The door opened and closed before I had a chance to get in, so I decided to take the stairs up to my room on 5th floor instead. There were narrow hallways, but I had to udnerstand it was a city hotel and square footage is at a premium.

Barf-a-rama

The most memorable scene to me in the movie 'Stand By Me' was when the storyteller told about the barf-a-rama. For some reason I thought of this today, likely since I was ill just after lunch but felt fine after going to the bathroom. Thankfully it didn't affect my plans for the rest of the day, and I felt fine enough to finish thr workday. I don't like missing work if at all possible.
   Made it to the Iowa/Minnesota basketball game tonight at Williams arena, Iowa won 64-62 after trailing 32-31 at the half. Hawkeyes were trailing by 11 late in the half but found a way to cut the margin to just 1 by halftime. After falling behind some more early in the second, they tied it at 38 and I don't recall them trailing again after that. The difference to me was the foul line, as Iowa made 8 more shots from the foul line and won by just 2. They did shoot from the line more, as Minnesota committed 7 more fouls. Also notable was the Gopher band playing 3 Lady Gaga songs, 'Just Dance', 'Bad Romance', and 'Poker Face'.
    Before the game I made it over to the Dairy Queen to use a coupon I had received back in August, it was good just for this Stadium Village location. There was 4 in all, and I have until May to use them. I decided to use the one for the shake.  

Albert Beveridge

I found something on the American Historical Association site about the Albert Beveridge award, related to history books. He was a senator from Indiana in the early 20th century. It stood out in my mind as Emerson Hough dedicated one of his books to Beveridge, 'Purchase Price'. But it is hard to tell if the award is being given at the annual meeting or at some other time of the year. I would like to think it will be given out at the meeting I am attending in a few days, as there would be a bigger crowd there than at some other event more than likely.
    I sent more change to the bank earlier today and it meant putting the gallon can I have it in inside by backpack, since I didn't have the time to get it all in a smaller receptacle. But I did transfer it before getting to the bank, as I have a metal travel mug at work. I did this in an empty conference room as I didn't want anyone to ask what all the racket was. Even just a few dollars in coins can rattle a lot in a metal can.
   Made it to the comedy club tonight, had a Blue Lucy burger in addition to my regular drink. One comic did speak of the Iowa caucuses while onstage, looks like it's too close to call.
   I do recall the caucuses when growing up in Iowa, plenty of candidates liked to visit. But at the time it was in February, and fairly recently it was moved up to January as Iowa wanted to continue being first. When I participated, I was in high school. Even though I was under 18 at the time, I was able to participate as I was a month short of my birthday, so it meant I would be old enough to vote in the November election.

Unrecognized Badge

When I tried to enter my workplace today, I didn't pay attention to the keycard I was using, it was my bus pass. The security guard said it came up as an unrecognized badge. This hadn't happened before, to the best of my knowledge, I must have been in a rush.
    At the comedy club tonight one comic did a history joke about Americans being cocky, I said I liked it due to majoring in history. He asked for advice about more cocky American history, I said 'just wars', but it's still plenty of material to draw from. Some of what he covered would likely fall into this category, like moving Indians off their land. I didn't think of naming places 'New Something' as cocky, but it did made me think which is what I like about some comedy.
    Also saw a comedian friend while leaving, we hugged. I guess their visit from California will be a little longer and they may be sending me another invite to a comedy show they are doing while in town. I will find out soon enough if available to attend, as I recall I did tell them I would be out of town this weekend so hopefully it is at some other time.

All is Quiet

I recalled attending a Bears-Vikings game at the Metrodome before on New Year's Day to end the season. One of the songs played then was 'New Year's Day' by U2. 'All is quiet on new year's day' was part of the lyrics. Today was the Bears-Vikings game again, and my date went with me, Bears won 17-13 after trailing 10-0 early on. Thankfully we got an early start on getting to the concession stand, with a minute left before halftime, as the line was much shorter. First time I had taken light rail after a game at the Dome, I had often taken the bus before. I think it was the first visit to this facility since the roof collapse just over a year ago. I spoke of the 'non-Metrodome trifecta' of events that had to be moved out of the Dome when it was unavailable. And the Vikings games are one of the few big events held there, since Twins baseball and Gopher football left for other stadiums.
 Of course last year, when this game was moved to the Gopher stadium, I drove to a ramp near campus and then walked across the river. There was a picture from last year's game in the program, one of those where the game was to find the differences in the pictures.
    The date continued into the evening, as there was a birthday party to attend for two people. My date decided to switch chairs, saying there was a nail sticking up from the seat but it was hard to see. It was cold and windy after the snow last night, hard to ignore. When checking email there was a link to a short video from Redbox, about the top videos of the year. One of them mentioned a movie I had seen, 'Horrible Bosses'. I had rented 3 from there in the past year, as I finally gave them a chance after a movie I wanted at Blockbuster just didn't seem to be available. It may have been due to having too few copies, but whatever reason they gave would seem invalid to many customers. If a business doesn't take care of their customers, someone else will.