Minneapolis Millers Pennant

The plans called for attending the second game of the Twins/Royals split doubleheader. The Twins won the 'lidlifter' 7-2. I listened to some of it on the radio while doing the typical errand running.
I got plenty done today, including printing a few things at the library. I also went back to South St. Paul to get another historical marker picture from the town's stockyard days. I was researching it online this week and found out there was another one near the Armour gates. It was on a 'historical marker database' so it became easier to find since it listed the cross streets it was near. I parked across the street long enough to take the picture, may not have even been noticed by anyone. Another thing I did was go to Walgreen and get more pictures onto a CD, after getting the ones I wanted of this marker. I'd like to change my profile picture on Facebook, and just plain add one to LinkedIn. The one on Facebook now is the original from when I joined, so it isn't that recent. It was a few years old even when I added it.
   Then it was on to the train station with my date to ride to the game, which took place in the early evening. We did get the giveaway item, a Minneapolis Millers pennant. Smaller than typical, but I like having it. Twins also won the nightcap, 5-1. The starting pitcher went 6 innings, which helped greatly. He did benefit from run support, 3 home runs though two of them were solo shots. We stopped to get a picture of a big piggy bank in the U.S. Bank section before leaving the stadium. It was mentioned often during the game, as 'feeding the pig' meant the proceeds would go to flood relief in Duluth. I put some pocket change in the pig. I decided to pick up a third pennant in my row, which was abandoned, and will likely be giving it to a colleague at work.

Reruns Of 'Monk'

While I was waiting for the bus the morning, I saw 3 abandoned drinks. They were from Superamerica. Being who I am, I dumped them out and tossed them in the nearby trash barrel. Thankful I found enough time to do it before the bus arrived, though it doesn't take long. On the bus after work I saw a man wearing an Oakland Raiders hat and he had a silver whistle around his neck. I haven't seen a whistle that fancy before.
     Tonight was about getting cleaned up around the home. While watching back-to-back syndicated reruns of 'Monk' I did things like shred junk mail and read through some magazines. I was paying attention fairly well, the first episode involved a school board election and a proposed school closure. Monk was a bodyguard who placed a hand grenade in a refrigerator, but being obsessive-compulsive he had to re-arrange it so it nearly exploded in his hand. The second was about poisoned candy for halloween, and his brother who was a hoarder and hardly ever left the house. The brother thought he had eaten some of the poisoned candy but in the ambulance on the way to the hospital it was determined he had not, based on the candy wrappers, as they were looked at more closely. I know these two were later episodes, based on the show's introduction. I prefer those, as I like the Randy Newman song 'It's a jungle out there' which is the theme song.
    One of the things I read is the Minneapolis paper, as there was a nice article about the Minneapolis Millers. This was the minor-league baseball team that played in the area before the major-league Minnesota Twins arrived. The millers will be saluted this weekend with throwback uniforms and a pennant giveaway.

Dueling Bridge Walks

I noticed a colleague doing a bridge walk at lunchtime, on the other side of the road. I wanted to complete the bridge before turning around, so I was behind for a while. But I was able to catch up due to the traffic light. Eventually I did pass my colleague, though I found out I wasn't spotted outside. I let them know after we both had made it back to the office. So if it was a competition of dueling bridge walks, it was unofficial. Maybe it was just as well that I didn't try walking with them, as it likely wouldn't have been in lockstep. I'm a brisk walker, and the bridge over the Mississippi River I can do round-trip in 10 minutes. Some say it takes longer, I tell them 'not the way I walk it'.
   I did jokes about being in Great Britain at the 400 bar in Minneapolis tonight, it went over well. Also filmed it on my video camera, still need to watch it. I entrusted another comic to have it on their table, resting on top of a tote bag. But I was told after I left the stage how they picked it up as it was hard to see me over the crowdmembers in the way. I got another picture of the wall art there, as it's a well-known music bar. This time it was of a Jayhawks album, though I don't own one. I do own some of the others featured on the walls there, like Soul Asylum and the Replacements. Actually, the Grave Dancers Union album by Soul Asylum is there more than once.
  After the show I went over to the Bobby and Steve's near 35W. As some would expect, I did pick up 2 small Godfather's pizzas. I like the smell of new tires in that shop, along with all of the wall art related to Coca-Cola.  

Not Because Of Novocain

I had a dental appointment after work, and due to some of the work done I was advised not to have a beer at the comedy club tonight. I told the bartender to give me a Pepsi instead, and why. He asked if it was due to the novocain, I said I didn't have any done on me. I know I didn't have to say why, but it helps remind me not to order a beer since I'm fairly well-known  there. It's to the level that they see me and ask if I want my usual, and of course I wouldn't want anything to go to waste. The dental assistant liked to talk to me quite a bit as usual, asking me about things like if I had been to any concerts lately and if I was going to any at the state fair at the end of the summer. At this point, i have no plans to attend any state fair concerts, but attending the state fair at least once likely is.
  It was a  good crowd tonight at the comedy club, much bigger than typical. There were some big fans running in the back as it was warm.
    The attendance party at the office was nice, it was in the afternoon in a 'cubbyhole conference room' which is just a game room for ping-pong and basketball. There were 3 choices of Edy's ice cream, I had the black/raspberry at first and later finished up the vanilla, but there wasn't much left by then. I did shoot some baskets after eating ice cream, one colleague was doing way better than me and I noticed he was getting mostly 3-pointers in. It was getting competitive on the ping-pong game, between some of the managers. I had to retrieve the ball once, since it was hit near me.

Free McDonald's Breakfast

I was reading a 'community paper' and a McDonald's employee came out and offered me a free breakfast, 3 pancakes and eggs. First I had to ask why, was told they had made too many and didn't want it to go to waste. Definitely liked the eggs, ate them right away- after getting to the office, of course. Wanted to be on time for work. Also got a pink lemonade frosting cupcake, a colleague made them. I think this colleague also makes suckers, but not the typical kind. These are the types where they're in clear plastic wrap and in a little cup.
  The 'community paper' is a system I do like seeing. Somebody buys a paper, reads it, and leaves it behind for the next person in the downtown St. Paul skyway. So I read it and leave it behind for the next person as well. Then I don't need to buy my own paper everyday. I just like having my own copy of the Friday edition, as I like having the baseball standings and the movie times for the weekend.
   The search for the index cards finally ended, decided to re-order them with my loyalty points.  I picked them up at the Best Buy in Roseville tonight. Went to the nearby library first and printed the baseball tickets I had ordered about an hour earlier, for the Twins on saturday and the Saints next week. Donated the rest of my points, after the index cards were ordered, to various school projects being advertised online. Chose one as there was a snoopy image, it was about needing ear buds. Others I chose due to it being for history class, or my native state, Iowa. A few Des Moines schools were listed. Wanted the 12 remaining points to go somewhere, those points are expiring soon.
    Heard the lounge singer version of Green Day's 'American Idiot' at the comedy club after the show was over. Found out the band that does a catchy song with lyrics 'Don't listen to a word I say' is from Iceland. It seems to be a hotbed for musical talent, as Bjork is from there. The song I had been hearing on the radio is 'Little Talks' by Of Monsters and Men. Don't know if I read about that band in particular when reading the Icelandair magazine, but there was an article about the music scene in Reykavik, the capital city.
   Also notable tonight was deciding to retire all of the plastic hangers I still could find, five in all. Now the wire hangers will get used more. Also decided to retire a short sleeve company shirt, as I was noticing some small holes in it near one of the sleeves. I started to rip it while still at the comedy club, and finished it after getting home. I should get a replacement shirt soon, since I do have a Target gift card to use. The postcard from Great Britain finally arrived at the office, about three weeks after sending it.

Sign Language on the Bus

I saw an older couple communicate in sign language on the bus in the evening. The man looked like somebody I had seen before. He had 1980's style plastic framed glasses, and a graybeard. He was wearing denim shorts, and crocs instead of shoes. I say he looked familiar as I think he once tried to speak to me in sign language, but of course I didn't respond so he knew I wasn't fluent. I just recall it being one of the few times when I was sitting near the back of the bus, since I usually sit near the front. Easier to remember when and where your stop is, in my opinion, when sitting near the front. Though I like knowing how when one is near the back, then one is close to the back door, which tends to be lower traffic when needing to leave. It helps that nobody's trying to board there, as it can be annoying when somebody tries to board when not everybody has exited yet.
   This of course is a different sign language couple than what I was used to seeing before, as the other couple looked much younger than the couple I saw today.
   At the comedy club tonight, there was a copy of the New Yorker magazine on a table so I flipped through it a little. There was an article about actor Ben Stiller in it, but I didn't read it very closely. Eventually I saw somebody return and claim it, they must have been in the bathroom. I did speak with them briefly, I didn't know them at all. They must have been a newer comic.

Anoka County Farms

I made it out to Anoka County Farms in Andover with my date at midday. In the morning, we went to the pancake breakfast at Kaposia Days in South St. Paul at Fury Motors, a Chrysler dealer. It looks like we have seen those two Charlie Brown and Snoopy statues before. There was also one of a turtle. Before leaving, I did speak with the man mowing the grass who sounded like the owner. He tells me he had just bought them and plans on adding another. Since there is a pumpkin patch at this place, and of course more activity in the fall, there is a fun reason to return at a later time. On the way there, I decided to get a picture of the Pearson Candy sign, as they are celebrating a centennial.
   More wedding pictures from Great Britain were uploaded today to a place called Shutterfly if I'm not mistaken. We did this while watching 'Final Season', a movie about the baseball team in Norway, Iowa. I did visit the museum last October, in a former bank, since it is not far from Iowa City.
   In the evening I got around to my errand running, including laundry. One man at the laundromat spoke of how he was tired, then felt fine after drinking from Coca-Cola. Well I say many already know about this concept, it's called caffeine. He had a 2-liter bottle he was drinking from there. Since it was evening, I knew full well to stay inside after getting there. It meant bringing everything in, like my drink and the paper from Friday I wanted to read. Didn't want to repeat the mistake of getting locked out. Then eventually it was on to groceries, dishes, and trash. I was getting a little frustrated with the new trash bag as I was unable to get it open. So I cut a piece off from the side and this did the trick! It's hard to tell that I did it, one has to look really close at it to know.

Armour Stockyard Gates, South St. Paul

I had my oil change done at Jiffy Lube, and used a coupon and gift card. There's now just one card left, for Target. It knocked the balance down to $3.25. No big deal, except both of my cards wouldn't take. So I had to pay the remaining balance in cash money. It reminded me of what was said in a letter I saw when working customer service before, someone who spoke of how 'cash is still legal tender here'. I could picture them saying it verbally. Technology is wonderful only when it works, and I knew full well my cards were just fine.
    In the afternoon, I went with my date to Kaposia Days, a festival in South St. Paul. I had been there two years ago, but a scheduling conflict kept me away last year. I told a coworker in advance about attending, as that colleague lives in there. We liked seeing the car show at the high school's parking lot, and it looks like the pink Chevy Impala was the same car we saw at a car show at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis last month. A wide variety of cars there, I liked this. As expected, many of them were 'muscle cars'.
  On the way over to the show, we had somebody help us with checking out the history of the town. I knew it was a stockyard town, as the high school athletic teams are called the 'Packers', but didn't know for sure where some of this was. We were informed how the entrance gates were kept when the rest of the stockyards were demolished, eventually we found them. It helped to stop at a park at the edge of town that looked like a welcome center rest area on the interstate. There were some stockyard photos, which gave us more clues. One historical marker was close to I-494. This was the Armour marker, next to the gates. The Swift marker was farther away, but not by much. We even found a street there named Armour. Most of the gates were made of brick, and the middle part was a swinging iron gate. I needed a second look at it as a mental picture, it made more sense. The left one looked like a pedestrian entrance, and the right one seemed to be the manned guard shack. The year built was visible, 1918. It made sense on wanting to keep the gates up as a reminder of the stockyard days, as Armour closed in 1979, 10 years after Swift did. I don't think anything was kept from Swift, likely less important when Armour was still there. It's not much different from what was done in my hometown when Lincoln School was demolished. A sign was made out of the cornerstone when a small neighborhood park was made out of part of the school grounds. I saw a park bench near the gates, but one of the gates didn't look well-kept. Some of the windows in the right one were boarded up. Even the stop sign was still a part of it. Also found was the Union Stockyards Exchange Building, which had four turrets on the roof. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
   In the evening I went with my date to the St. Paul Saints game, the Saints came from behind to beat Sioux Falls. The nightly theme was the Boxing Hall of Fame inductions, and the Cub Foods 'What's  In The Bag?' joke was a rabbit holding a punch bowl. My date cheered after a throwing error helped out the Saints and became the Fan of the Game, though we didn't get that particular coupon after the game. It was for Chili's, we got plenty of others handed to us.   

Tandem Bikes

I saw two tandem bikes when I was walking from Gabe's Bar to the Saints baseball stadium tonight to get tickets for Saturday's game. I like how I'm finding the time and energy to do this much walking, as I had been out of this routine. Haven't tried to ride a tandem bike, I know there was a song called 'Bicycle Built for Two'. There was one in a Muppet movie, 'Muppet Caper'. And Norman Lear's production company was called Tandem, doing pioneering shows like 'All In The Family'.
   When I got back to Gabe's, the College World Series game was beginning, Arkansas vs. South Carolina. Arkansas did take an early lead, 1-0 after the first inning, but South Carolina went on to win the game, 3-2. I liked how Arkansas was using 'little ball' effectively, with stolen bases as well as bunts and a sacrifice fly, but it just got them a 2-0 lead. South Carolina took advantage of the walks, as the go-ahead run was on a bases-loaded walk in the 7th. I am still very much a student of the game, usually being able to look at box scores and determine why one team won and the other lost. It has been simpler in football and basketball, but in baseball I keep hearing how walks play a role in it. When the Twins played at the Metrodome there was a graphic on the video board that said 'walks will haunt!' after the opposing pitcher gave up a walk.
  The annoying thing was how ESPN, which televised the game, kept running their crawlers constantly during the game. It was breaking news about the verdict in the case involving ex-Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky, convicted on 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse. But after a while, I felt like saying 'We already know this'. Based on what the news was saying, it is likely going to be life imprisonment. He's currently 68 years old, and the minimum sentence is 60 years. No surprise in seeing how an appeal is likely, as there's nothing to lose. This is common in high-profile cases like this one.
   I am thankful I found the time to get around to seeing the game, it hadn't worked out in my schedule any earlier. There was a computerized jukebox there, I did have one song played but no money was put in. I know it said 2 credits for one dollar, maybe there was a credit left. I first heard 'Only Make Believe', hard to tell if it was by Elvis Presley or Conway Twitty, as both had performed the song. Then I heard 'Telephone' by Lady Gaga, which pleased me. When it was my turn, I chose 'Perfect' by Pink. There were some older people near it, and I did hear 'play something good', from a gray-haired man with a mustache. He said he didn't like songs from people he hadn't heard of. I think this is one way of saying 'I'm old'. One woman was fine with hearing Pink or Eminem, this man seemed fine with Johnny Cash when I suggested it. But all I played was Pink. I did check to see what they had for Eminem, I liked seeing 'Real Slim Shady'. When I got home I had to hear some Eminem songs, so I went to Youtube and selected 'Need a Doctor', 'Lose Yourself', and 'Beautiful'. I know I've written about 'Doctor' before but it still like how personal it is as it's written about his mentor, Doctor Dre. 'I owe my life to you, you breathed life into me'. Still very powerful senitments to me, and I know I'm not alone. There had already been over 130 million viewings of the video on Youtube. Not everybody may understand why I like the music of Eminem, Pink, and Lady Gaga so much. Those who know me best know my struggles and it seemed to offer some more comfort to me than other music could. It reminded me how I am not alone, and was not alone in these struggles in the past. For too long, I thought I was.

Desiderata

When I had some down time at work, I thought about a poem I saw when cleaning the Nursing Building in college. I knew it started with 'Go placidly amid the noise and haste' but didn't know the title. So I searched it online and found out it is called 'Desiderata'. It is Latin for 'desired things', according to Wikipedia. I recall writing it down on a page that was in the recycle bin, as it resonated with me. Still does.
   A colleague, the 'theater guy' decided to get demonstrative when describing one story he had about the flooding in Duluth. He has a friend that took a picture of it that went viral. He has Viking horns on, brandishing a canoe paddle, while standing in a 55-gallon garbage can. There was 2 feet of water in the basement. the caption was 'They said Duluth doesn't flood, we're up on a hill'. Naturally when I think of floods, it would be the 'Great Flood of 1993'. President Clinton came to Des Moines, Iowa, to view the damage caused by the flooding. With one body of water in Des Moines, I exaggerated some about it, using a sarcastic tone. I said Walnut Creek 'floods whenever somebody spits into it'.
   I did one thing tonight I hadn't done in a while, and should do more often. I took a long walk, after watching a rerun of 'Big Bang Theory'. Good episode, Sheldon goes on vacation, sort of. I said at first I would walk all the way to the Superamerica. But I went even farther. When I did the Mapquest directions, I found out I walked nearly 2 miles each way! I had done walks like this before, such as when I lived in suburban Chicago. I would walk all the way from my home in Des Plaines to the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, about 3 miles each way. It helped to clear my mind, and I reminded myself I still needed to email a classmate about an Emerson Hough book they have. I returned a grocery cart to the store, and I picked up a little trash as well. It was nice to be so close to the car traffic, yet far enough way that I knew I was safe. What I like about these walks is being able to see things more closely, as one is going at a slower pace than if driving in a car. When I got back, a lightbulb burned out in my home. I've been slowly replacing the bulbs I have with the compact flourescent ones, I like how they seem to last much longer. But at this point I am leaving one of them 'vacant' since I can go to the store at lunchtime to get the replacement. So it won't be vacant for long. I've been moving them to the light closest to the front door, which gets used the most. This is the one I've been replacing most often, likely since it's turned on first.
   It was an 'eating out' night, as after work I went over to the Little Caesar's for my once a month visit for pepperoni pizza. Then after watching TV I actually went to the Dairy Queen first to use up a 2 for 1 coupon for Blizzards that was expiring at the end of the month. I've learned my lesson about freezing the one I don't eat right away. It helps to take out the spoon first, before putting it in the freezer. Hard to do after it's frozen. Then I went on the walk, which was still after I was done watching TV.
   I decided to look at an email at work today about my WOW points, how they would be expiring soon, at the end of the month. Well I didn't have that many, as I had ordered just two items. It was some movie tickets, and then a food gift certificate. I had just 150 points, it was enough for some index cards from Best Buy. But after I placed the order, it was canceled, saying they 'were unable to verify my information'. Seems unnecessary to have a fraud investigation over an item that costs less than two dollars, especially when I must pick it up at a store. But when I called the customer service line, they said an investigation was needed. It won't be mailed out to me, apparently since it's a small item. Didn't even have enough points to donate to charities like St. Jude Hospital.

The Ecolab Guy

I saw a man I recognized from earlier while riding the bus after work this evening. He works at Ecolab, and he tells me he now lives in Eagan. I was telling him about seeing Ecolab on my visit to Great Britain, hand soap at a pub. He said they are a global company, and has been to that nation as well.
   The jokes about Great Britain went well at the comedy club tonight. I called back my dad to tell him being there. I finally asked him about why he said 'Everett' every so often, he tells me it has nothing to do with an episode of 'Little House' where Mr. Edwards is called Everett even though his name is Isaiah. He said he knew some people named Everett. He doesn't recall some of these oddities but does his best to explain them, like when I asked about what 'Minnesota hoods' referred to.
  My dad said he saw news coverage of the flooding in Duluth. So it is a big deal when it's news outside of the state, as Dad lives in Iowa. He also spoke of getting the hay in, as he's a hobby farmer.
   Also notable today was seeing the belongings of one colleague being packed up. She had been on leave for a while, disability if I'm not mistaken, hard to recall how long. Her calendar was flipped to January, I know this much. One can't stay on leave of absence forever, no matter what the reason is. I was on leave once so far, for my grandma's funeral. But that leave was way shorter, as it lasted less than a week.

One Piece at a Time

As I was leaving the comedy club I was paying attention to the songs I was hearing. In my car it was 'One Piece at a Time' by Johnny Cash, on radio station 89.3. The station was covering the year 1976, when it was a hit. The deejay said it was his final number one, and spoke of 'Legionnaire's Disease' being a big news story that year. Another song I heard was 'Still Rock and Roll to Me' by Billy Joel. I didn't stay in the club to hear the end of it as I had just told a friend I was leaving anyway. I do like the song though, and listened to all of it on Youtube when I got home. It's a nice reminder of visiting St. Louis one summer on break from college, hearing it on somebody's car radio there. And I liked knowing I had an aptitude for music then, knowing the title and performer fairly often.
   At the comedy club, it was the finals for the summer contest. A bearded man from Fargo-Moorhead won. With another comic, I started another round of the crowd laughing when I laughed, a delayed reaction to a joke about bunk beds and jazz musicians. One fellow comic said some seats were saved for two girls, but the girls never arrived. I did like having the seat next to the bathroom, as some did acknowledge me on their way in.
   At work it looks like the crisis is averted, in terms of coverage at the office soon. It just means having to train the new hire on more duties, likely needed to do this anyway. And it means handling the same payoff report three straight weeks, as I was asked to trade with somebody so the training could happen.
   I cracked open the Maytag Muenster cheese tonight, first time since I bought it when I was back in Iowa for the class reunion. It's really tasty, but I know well enough not to eat it all at once.
   On the bus this morning I saw a gray-haired woman who spent most of the ride with her head in her hands. She looked like a much older version of Little Red Riding Hood, if 'Hood' also wore pink pants with fringe at the ankles and pink flip-flops as well.

Old Wisconsin Meat and Cheese

I was one of a few tonight at the comedy club who helped out a new guy with some pointers. The best advice I said I could give him was be aware of the time light. Be gone when it lights up, then one has a chance of being invited back. Despite the MC warning people about the light, some still 'ran it' as they weren't paying attention. I think it was in reference to many new comics who were getting stage time as their night in the contest is this week. Naturally, the new people are not necessarily aware of the rules, even though on the lineup list it does say 'watch for the light'. This disclaimer is at the bottom of the page, so it may be be why some pass right over it. If somebody asks for advice about the craft, I will give it. There's a better chance they want to hear it if they ask. Don't want to waste their time otherwise.
   I finished up the twin-packs of Old Wisconsin cheese I had tonight, low-calorie, 5 in all. They're meat and cheese sticks. I like trying things from the discount table at the grocery store. Another thing I've been trying is the Kellogg's breakfast bars. Hard to beat the price on these items. They had quite a few of the bars and I've been buying them as long as they've been available. But I still get four in most weeks, as I prefer to finish up the food order before I go back to the store. I don't feel the need to have that much extra food around the home, perishable or otherwise.   

Cleaning a Coleman Cooler

I decided to claim a cooler I found in a garage I rented recently. I knew I needed to get it out of the trunk of my car and clean it. Well I finally did this earlier today. It didn't take that long, same as most things. It just means needing to put it on the priority list. I'm sure I will use it eventually, as I do travel from time to time and it is a handy item to have. I also got around to cleaning some souvenirs from Great Britain, such as a beer bottle from Iceland and a soda bottle from a German food shop. Hard to find a shelf that fit one of the bottles, since it's kind of tall. Didn't want to lay it on its side, might roll away.
   I got the groceries and dishes done earlier than typical, as I knew I needed to since I was going to a Dad's Day event with my date. Pictures from Great Britain and the class reunion were shown there, though my date had very little from the reunion. I have most of those on my camera.
    I did see an interview with rapper Ice-T on CNN recently in the skyway food court. It was about his movie 'Art Of Rap' opening soon. Tried searching for it online, but I found no listings yet for the Twin Cities. Hopefully it will get to the area soon. I do like movies about musicians, be it biopics or documentaries. Though this sounds more like a documentary. It may have a limited release, so I am fine with going over to the Lagoon or Edina theaters to see it. It was odd how Ice-T said people don't experience music online, when many do so through Youtube and I-Tunes. I like how most songs are on Youtube. He did have a point how some rap songs won't be played on the radio, but many of them still are.
    I am still holding out hope on hearing some good stories about the late Uncle Irving when going to these 'adopted family' events my date takes me to, but so far not much luck. All I hear is he had plenty of jokes and stories to tell, but nobody can remember any of them. At this event somebody said he was known for having a 'black book' of jokes, and often told dirty jokes. I am told I would have liked meeting him, likely since I do comedy and would appreciate somebody who was good at telling jokes and stories.

Charley Pride Concert

We attended the Charley Pride concert at the Treasure Island casino tonight, first time there. My date just bought a CD of his greatest hits, we listened to it on the way there. It was a struggle to find one, I went to Cheapo, a used shop, and there weren't any. Nothing at Best Buy. Finally found it at Walmart, but had to scrounge around in the discount bin. But it was real cheap, just 7 dollars.
   One recorded song we heard at the venue before the show began was by Crystal Gayle, 'Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For'. I had seen her at a free concert at Worlds of Fun, an amusement park in Kansas City, when I was a youngster. She did have her trademark long hair, all the way down to her ankles. She also referred to being born in a different town than her sister, Loretta Lynn.
    I did gamble a little at the casino before the show, but not much, just a few dollars in a slot machine. Got a mushroom and swiss burger at a fast food establishment, then a big cookie at a cafe after that. I did like how Charley still enjoys performing, he was cracking jokes during the show. Like between songs, one fan asked for LP records to be signed, and how she recalled a show he did back in 1969. He asked if he ate well that night. He did play some early songs, such as 'Snakes Crawl at Night', apparently a song about a man shooting his wife for infidelity. Some even shouted out requests, I was one of them. I asked for 'I'll Fly Away', it was part of a gospel medley. It was familiar from the media coverage last year of baseball player Harmon Killebrew's funeral. Charley was a friend of Harmon's and sang the song at the funeral, it was near the end of the newscast that night.
    Also liked hearing 'San Antone', and 'Kiss an Angel Good Morning'. Some others were familiar again, bringing back memories of my parents playing certain country songs when I was a kid. So now I have done two concerts where the performer was 'against type'- as I also saw rapper Eminem.
   We also found the time to see a movie I have on VHS, 'Romy and Michele'. It seemed appropriate since I had just been to my class reunion. I like Janeane Garofalo, and she is in it. But I'm not sure if I have any other movies she's in. She's still largely a character actress, and has guest starred on some TV shows in addition to mostly small movie roles. I like her caustic, razor-tongued comedy. Even went to see her do a comedy show when I lived in Chicago, in 2002 as I recall.

More People Leaving?

One colleague, the theater guy, said he was getting a job interview at another office early next week. He would have plenty of company at that office, some of our colleagues have already transferred there. One colleague had her last day today, she is leaving the company entirely instead of just going to another office. There was donuts brought in, eventually I chose a Bismarck. It reminded me of different terms for some items, and how some thought President Kennedy said he was a donut when he said 'I am a Berliner' in a speech at the Berlin Wall. Some just know Bismarck as the capital city of North Dakota, or maybe the German leader as well. Then there's the ship, and the song about the ship. But I think it's mainly a term for a kind of donut in just this region, the Midwest.
    I got more pictures of the sculptures at Kellogg Park in St. Paul at lunchtime, the ones I didn't get earlier since a school field trip was happening there. As usual, it's entertaining to see fellow bus riders. I found this out when riding home in the evening. Most notable was a woman with small hoop earrings but didn't look like metal, a nose ring in the right nostril, and a partially shaved head. As she was leaving the bus, I noticed more, such as walking with a limp as there was a rainbow colored brace on the lower right leg. I tried not to look too long as she had the look, with the sunglasses on, of saying 'what are you looking at?' if I started staring.

Photo Album Nearly Doubled

I decided to add photos from Great Britain and the class reunion to my Facebook photo album tonight. I added 30, which nearly doubled it as I previously had just 40. Two of them were earlier, but I liked having the Pig's Eye artwork from Kellogg Park in St. Paul, a reference to the city's original name. The other was a Chicago Wolves pennant, a minor-league hockey team. I realized I didn't have any pictures posted about the team. I enjoyed attending their games when living there, so it made sense to add a picture finally.
   Eight of them added were from Newton, three of the eight were of the reunion at the American Legion. Of those from Great Britain, I included a picture of the cows from the wedding venue. Since I want approval of wedding pictures, I have posted just two so far. The other is of the venue itself, the main entrance to the building. The ceremony was in the garden in the back.
   I tried getting a picture at Walgreen tonight as a profile picture for Linkedin, but it wasn't quite what I wanted. There was too much in the background, and I wanted a plain background like the screen used for passport photos. So I will have to try again soon. I may want to have it replace my existing profile picture on Facebook as well. I selected 60 photos for the CD, out of about 200 from the two events, then narrowed it some more before posting them. I am fine with being picky with what I post, as I do prefer quality.
   I was still online when watching 'Big Bang Theory', I know it involved Howard in the space program and Sheldon amending the roommate agreement with Leonard. Then Sheldon eventually wanted him back as a friend. I needed to mail 2 bills at lunchtime, though I didn't want to stay outside for too long as it was wet, and looked like it might rain again soon since there wasn't much sun. I would have liked doing a bridge walk, maybe on Friday. It makes a world of difference when I give myself more time to do so at lunch.

Spotting A Former Colleague

I spotted a former colleague at lunchtime, smoking outside our building. Hadn't seen her in a while. She had left the company 3 years ago. I liked what she had to say- when I worked with her- when asked by some about being born without a left hand. She said she 'didn't need it'. It helps to be positive about these things, and of course one tends to know how to adapt way better to things they really never had at all. I recall how she had a limerick up about switching departments. Her name is Colleen, I had known a few others with this name. It was truly a random thing, as I said I was on my way to doing a bridge walk when she spotted me. It had been a rough day at work up to that point, so it was really helpful to see a familiar face. Right place and right time apparently. I often say 'what are the odds?' about these things.
    At the comedy club tonight I had hoped to speak to one friend but I showed up right before, she was busy before and after it. So I spoke to her husband, a cop. He did like hearing some about my recent travels to Great Britain, and then to my class reunion. I said I was thankful for more leads on finding Charlie Brown and Snoopy statues, as we were sent another one on Facebook while I was in Great Britain. I said I would try to find it when I get back, hopefully this weekend but not sure. Have to check what we already have planned. It means driving a little, so one must allow the time driving to and from there, and this one doesn't appear to be as close as most of the others.   

Sandwich Winner at Nectary

A colleague near the end of the workday said I was a free sandwich winner at the Nectary, a sandwich place I've frequented in the downtown St. Paul skyway. I went onto Facebook once I arrived home to confirm it. Then I responded to it, saying I would be in by the end of the week to claim it. I did let them know I hadn't been there in a while, as the Erbert Gerbert opened earlier this year. I like the fun names they have for sandwiches, like the turkey sandwich is called the 'Boney Billy'. There had been some personnel changes at the Nectary as well, like the order taker that knew me is no longer there. I liked the feeling of them knowing me well enough to know I would be ordering a whole egg salad sandwich. Found out it saves them time when they see regulars and know what they will be ordering. Same is true for getting beer at the comedy club. So this will be enough to get me back there. I had won a sandwich once before on the Facebook drawing, it was over a year ago around the time of the Bears-Vikings game that was moved to the Gopher stadium. I think I claimed that one the same day as the game, a Monday, after working a half-day. I started eating at the Nectary after getting a gift certificate from my company's United Way campaign, and this is also how I got started in comedy. So in many ways it seems appropriate to return there when, there is enough that reminds me of being a regular at the clubs.
    The summer contest at the comedy club continued tonight, the second semifinal week took place. I had a craving for some potato chips and chocolate milk, so I stopped at a Superamerica along the way. I liked knowing the milk was free thanks to using the loyalty card. It did make me late for the show, but I didn't miss much, jsut the MC and none of the contestants. As usual, I knew nearly all of the judges.
  

Except I'm Not Kotter

It was welcome back to work today, but nobody sang 'Welcome Back Kotter'. I did like that show, John Travolta was on it. And I liked some of the lines in the theme song, how 'your dreams are your ticket out'. Though I thought it was odd how there was a sign in the intro about how Brooklyn was the 4th largest city in America, when it's been part of New York City for decades now. But I digress.  
   The department was busy while I was out last week, which is why many of them decided to wait until today and attend a 'makeup session' meeting in the afternoon about career development week. Still getting caught up on chores, just did the dishes for the first time in over a week. The other notable, and necessary, chore was getting trash bags at Walgreen. Thankfully I don't have to get them often, they last me for a while. I also got around to writing down what food wrappers I have accumulated in the past two weeks. I don't know if it has been effective on weight control, but when one has to write down what they eat they are more aware of it and likely try harder to eat healthy.
  I asked a few friends at the comedy club tonight if anyone noticed I was out for all of last week, and it seemed like nobody did. I asked as I wanted to address the 'elephant in the room' when I am at the clubs regularly. I don't miss out too often, and I know people are used to seeing me. Or maybe they already knew in advance, so it was no big deal. Hard to say. I left the club early as I was tired.

Maytag Plant 1 Marker

    We of course had to say goodbye to the B&B today, but I enjoyed meeting the owners and there is a chance of making it back more quickly than the next reunion in 5 years. It sounded like they would appreciate some more business. My date would like to see a race at the track where the all-reunion was held. I haven't seen a race there yet, it hasn't been open for long, just a few years. I have seen part of the Iowa Corn 250 on TV on ABC, it is their flagship race apparently. Liked reading some of the coffee table books there about Newton's history, though some were published a while back. It gave me more ideas about what to get pictures of on my next visit, as it listed where the Maytag mansions are in town. I found out there was more than one. But there was an article saying one was demolished many years ago.
     Before leaving town we went over to the former home office for Maytag, and looked at the quick history of the company given there on the wall. It started with the first washing machine, the Pastime, in 1907, and ended with the Neptune, in 1997. We also found a marker for Plant 1 when deciding to go to the other side, near the community college known as DMACC. I don't think it has been there for that long. We picked up some Maytag cheese as well, Muenster and Blue. The 5-pound bag of ice lasted the entire drive back home.
     We stopped at Valley Junction in West Des Moines, where I had lived for a year and a half after college in Iowa City. Many of the antique dealers were there with outside tables. One had some autographed pictures of magazine covers, including Stan Musial and Ted Williams. Both are baseball players that received the President's Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. On to the Maid-Rite in Ankeny, and after this there was just one more stop, in Clear Lake.
   Even though I was wiped out from the traveling, I really had no choice but to go get laundry done after getting back into town. Saw a woman who said her daughter played pro football here, for the Minnesota Machine. I had just heard of the Vixen, as one of my fellow comics played for that team. When I spoke of her name, her daughter said she had heard of her. Also made it over to get groceries. I have already accepted a Facebook friend request from one classmate that I saw at the reunion, he was an 'ex-Monroe' classmate, in reference to where I first attended elementary school.

Zoar Church And Class Reunion

We saw the Zoar Church today, a property on the National Register of Historic Places. It mostly meant looking around at the cemetery, as the church building was locked up. Many of the tombstones were in German as it was a church founded by those of German ancestry. It is about 10 miles outside the town of Newton on Highway 14. Last year we found the 6 properties inside the city limits. On the way back into town we stopped at the Emerson Hough Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, a coveted venue for class reunions. Unsure which class got it, I know my class wanted it. I got a picture inside of a banner with the chapter name on it, don't recall seeing it when visiting there to research Emerson Hough two years ago.
     We also found the Maytag Guesthouse, near the former country club which just became public after it was bought out of bankruptcy. Good thing I had the address from the real estate listing online, as otherwise it would have been hard to find. I saw a sign up that said 'private drive' so we decided to park across the street. It was hard to get good pictures when standing behind the gate, as there were plenty of trees in the way. So we walked up about halfway to the house to get the pictures we wanted.
    The Jasper County Museum was also on our list, the tour guide told us plenty of stories along the way. I hadn't seen the outdoor buildings in a while, on a previous visit in 2006 I just had the time for the indoor exhibit. There was a story about plans to replace the windmill.
   The class reunion got a little crazy, I was nearly choked with the 'elephant tie' I was wearing. But it was fun, well worth it to be there. I made the day of two classmates by giving them copies of the media attention on their jobs in the alumni magazine. I liked knowing I could do something for them, even though the articles were from 1998 and 1999. One was about performing country music with Pam Tillis, the other about working for various professional sports teams. My date learned quite a bit about me while there, jsut from listening me introduce all of my classmates. I said some were ex-Monroe like me, others from Lincoln School. It was the elementary school I attended after my family moved to Newton when I was in the middle of third grade. We shared stories of finding the school site, which was demolished in 1992 and there is now plenty of houses on the site. The cornerstone was saved and was made into a sign at a little park, there are some basketball courts there. I made it a Facebook picture after last year's visit. Of course many of them were football teammates. One of them spoke of being divorced twice. Same classmate is a high school guidance counselor, and said he was sent a text message about the murder of Aplington-Parkersburg football coach Ed Thomas before it was on the news. He had been a football coach before becoming a counselor. Apparently it is a fraternity like being a police officer, when one of your own goes down it means plenty to the entire community. Some said they would like to see me do comedy, but they would have to travel some of course. One classmate now lives in Hawaii. At the end of the night at the American Legion there were some group pictures taken. There were about 100 of us there, including spouses. It was a little overwhelming to be in demand for most of the night. But I took it in stride as it is usually a good thing to be in demand. I know my classmates like to see me, but it still surprises me on some level as to how much. I've told myself how football is king in many small towns in the Midwest, and I was part of the team as equipment manager. Apparently that was enough. I just figured popularity was a fleeting and fickle thing. I had more beer to drink than usual, 3 cups. But it was furnished with the fee we paid, and I still drank way less than many did. The cake looked nice, got a picture before it was cut. There was a replica of the class picture on the cake. When I saw one classmate, I referred to him as 'my brother', as I liked how his family 'adopted' me. Hadn't spoken in a while, he's married and has 3 daughters, busy with his small business as well. Hopefully we can keep in touch more often soon. My date could tell how much he truly cared about me.  

All-Reunion At Iowa Speedway

Went to Newton, Iowa, today to start my class reunion weekend. There are different events held in relation to it. For Fridays there is an 'all-reunion' at the racetrack, the Iowa Speedway, on Rusty Wallace Drive. It was hard to find classmates at first, as it was so crowded there. Some were on the patio near the seating sections outside. Then eventually I did see more, I was able to remember how
I knew all of them to my date. Surprised on some level how simple this was, just by seeing certain faces again. Hard to say who had the biggest impression on me, may have been the classmate who said we really appreciated the work you did for the football team. Another was the spouse of a teammate, who said I was 'an icon' in the town's history. But I'm no F.L. Maytag or Emerson Hough! Am I really that popular? It was no problem being modest, but I could have blushed or acted embarrassed if I wanted to. I had heard I was a 'legend' before, wonder if this is comparable, sure sounds like it. I was wearing an Emerson Hough shirt, some thought it was an old one but I had to tell them I ordered it online two years ago and I actually never attended the school named for him.
   We did get started on an ambitious list of things to see while in town, starting with seeing the Maytag Dairy Farm. I liked finding out there were other cheeses besides the blue cheese, it is just the best seller. My dad spoke of the 'edam cheese', he must have liked it. Speaking of my dad, I spoke of him a lot tonight. Many asked if I still had family in town, I said no. Dad left town shortly after he retired, since he had no real attachment to central Iowa. He went back to southern Iowa. He said 'I'm done' about six years after I finished high school, shortly after becoming eligible for retirement at full benefits. He had eligibility for 30 and out at the plant, due to being unionized. Left a business card for a classmate who has a wooden pallet business, he was at tonight's event. Found out a few others I had hoped would be there won't be. This included one whose mom owns the bridal shop where the class window display is. Even saw a classmate while looking at the display. We drove past the Valle Drivein Theater on the way into town. We also made it inside the Jasper County Courthouse and it was nice to see the displays there, like a plate with Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on it. I got some peanut butter crackers from a vending machine for 45 cents, real cheap compared to what I'm used to.
     The B&B we are staying at is nice, first time i've been in it. Had to tell one classmate how it used to be La Corsette, as he didn't recognize the current name of August Bergman Inn. I've seen a George Washington picture on the wall, and they informed me how August Bergman was an in-law of F.L. Maytag, and helped him with financial support to start the appliance company. I had found an online article that spoke of how he had married a Bergman. 

'Back In America' Song

'Back In America' was a song I recall being at the end of the movie 'National Lampoon's European Vacation'. It describes me today, after 2 flights on Iceland Air. I've unpacked my bags and did my best to consolidate souvenirs. Of course it helped to take out clothes and put them in the laundry basket first. Most of what was in my bags happened to be clothes.

     There were plenty of postcards as expected, and 9 buttons from various places, although 4 of them were sold together at the Hard Rock Cafe. There's also the toy versions of the phone boxes and double decker buses I saw plenty of in London. I liked getting a second chance at souvenirs in Iceland while on layover, so I got a pack of coins and a pair of socks. Laying on the floor is the British coins, 7 in all, totaling less than 2 pounds. The customs agent at MSP Airport tried to make a joke about me having an Iowa Hawkeye sweatshirt on, but I've learned to take these things in stride. This means ignore them as best as possible, do not acknowledge it.

    Liked being able to sample various beers of course, including one while at the airport in Iceland. I got to my home and everything looked fine, watched 'Big Bang Theory' with my date and then we went to eat. I hope to get some rest tonight, as the weekend will be busy. We are attending my class reunion in Iowa. It meant having to skip just one event related to the wedding, the breakfast this morning. But we needed the time to get back to Heathrow Airport on the chartered bus. Got noticed by an airport security official, being told to delete a picture I had taken of a company sponsoring the Olympic Games. I decided to choose an alternate line as I was already on her bad side. We ate lunch at the airport, and got some final souvenirs as well. I am pleased that many have already read the posting about attending a play in London's West End, 'Sunshine Boys'. My guess is few others had done a blog posting about the play.

Stonehenge And A Cotswold Wedding

I filmed with my video camera at Stonehenge on Tuesday. I didn't film for long as it was fairly cool there and was starting to rain. So there is just under 2 minutes of footage. I wanted to keep my hands warm so I was using just one to film. It doesn't look great, since the camera was moving around a lot. But you can hear my voice. We had to take 3 trains to get to the town, then there was a bus to take us the rest of the way. While in Salisbury we did leave our bags at a pub called 'the Cat'. We decided to eat there as well, before having to get back to the station. Though it took a while to get out food. The server, a barmaid, was overwhelmed as she was the only one there. It was a lasting impression for me, when she fell to pieces after saying 'sorry' since my date didn't have the silverware needed to eat what food was given, including a fried egg. I think the accent had a lot to do with it. We had to take 2 more trains to get to the hotel to meet the family for the wedding, a total of five for the day. My date's dad really wanted to hear about that. I guess it was a big deal, since it's rare on needing to make so many connections in one day. A few were cutting it close, arriving jsut as the train did. But in my book one is late only if you're not on the train when it leaves. On the last one, we had to stand at first, no seats. But I knew some may open up quickly, and they did. So we were able to sit after one stop. I like how the trains in Great Britain are efficient and effective. I'm not too impressed with Amtrak, especially when they have to yield to freight trains. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant, one employee asked if everything was all right. I said I just needed to stand as I had been sitting for too long. It was just the groom's family, as the bride was at a separate event.
   I also filmed at the wedding today. The ceremony lasted less than 10 minutes, being brief was fine. I got the lion's share of it, just over 6 minutes. I didn't get the bride going down the aisle, but turned my camera on shortly after. An umbrella partially blocked my view, we were given those as there was a chance of rain. Apparently there was no interest in moving indoors in case of rain, maybe due to it being a short ceremony. There were cows going by just beyond the gate, got a picture of them but I don't know breeds well. My dad would know, he was a farm kid. We were told there was a dairy at this place in the Cotswolds, the cows were going to be milked. I liked getting some ice cream after the ceremony, as there was a cart available for us guests. With mine I said I was fine with having a chocolate bar stuck into it, this must be a British thing. The food was good, there were multiple courses. I got a picture of the cake before it was cut. We were told the top tier was for show, just styrofoam. There was a spirited discussion during the dinner held after the ceremony between the vride's dad and groom's uncle. I did help out a little, saying Edison was a brilliant inventor but a horrible businessman. It was in reference to a Second World War discussion, saying America had more resources than Japan. The other was saying President Harry Truman played a role in the creation of the Israeli state, though the debate was about how much of a role, if at all. Nice how it didn't get too heated of course.  At lunchtime I ate at a McDonald's with my date's brother-in-law, who is from Britain. I was surprised at having to pay for ketchup, though it was just 5 pounds, so less than a dime. He said he does like American football and spoke of seeing games from the Metrodome on TV, doesn't like hockey much due to the fights. Liked how we found common ground, on liking the TV show 'Big Bang Theory'. He especially likes the Sheldon character.

Danny DeVito in 'Sunshine Boys'

Went to a play tonight in London's West End, saw Danny DeVito in 'Sunshine Boys'. My date said the co-star was in the 'Harry Potter' movies, haven't seen any of those. It was a comedy and it made me laugh so it was a good one, worth seeing. Some of the pop-culture references may have been lost on some, like the Ed Sullivan show. It went off the air a while ago. But I know it was a prominent show for a while, many musicians had their 'coming out party' there. I like Neil Simon plays quite a bit, such as 'The Odd Couple', though I haven't seen it as a play yet. But I liked it as a movie and TV show.
   Liked seeing some food there, since we didn't eat dinner before the play. I got some Carlsberg beer and Pringles potato chips (or here they call them 'crisps') along with Cadbury 'Caramel Nibbles', which made me think as well as laugh. Liked getting a hot dog at Herman Ze German before getting on the train back to the hotel.
   Earlier in the day we made it over to get pictures of Big Ben and Parliament. Also did a tour of the Ben Franklin home. My date thought it was in bad taste when a member of the tour group was trying to 'school' the tour guide about Franklin, I agreed. It would be one thing if the guide wasn't competent enough, but the guide was quite knowledgeable. Liked seeing a glass harmonica, which he invented. Some played it when invited to do so. Apparently it is the only home he lived in that still stands, as his home in Philadelphia was demolished. The postcards I bought there say so. We found the US Embassy, and noticed the state flags there are in order by statehood. In a park across the street, there was a statue of Franklin Roosevelt along with a 9/11 memorial. It said there were 67 British citizens killed that day.    
    In the afternoon, we went to the British Museum where we saw the Olympic medals display. I found a suitable Olympic souvenir from this year's games which will be held in less than 2 months, a luggage tag. I likely needed another one when I had to take one off a bag I wasn't going to be using for this week and put it on my suitcase. Also got some Olympic postcards, including of the 1948 Games, the most recent one held in London. It was nice finding Piccadilly Circus, looks like New York's Times Square. We did this before the Franklin home.

Music Museum at O2 Arena

Went to a music museum at the O2 Arena, had to wait for it to open for the day. Nice displays throughout, learned some while there as expected. There were many displays where it was possible to scan it with a 'smart ticket' and be able to see it again later. Hard to say what was most notable about being there, though one lasting impression was seeing in one display a plastic Beatles lunchbox. What helped was seeing some mention of American bands and American concert venues, like the Beatles performing at Shea Stadium in New York and Candlestick Park in San Francisco. I know the O2 arena is a prominent music venue, I understand the likes of Lady Gaga has performed there. I did get a few small souvenirs there, 2 postcards.
    I liked getting to a comedy show in North London. There was an MC and 4 acts, along with an 'interval'. It's what they call an intermission here. Many of the jokes sounded familiar from going to American shows, like being on Facebook, along with the crowd rap to find out occupations. One had a magic act and a rabbit puppet, the closing act. Another sang and played a guitar. One spoke of going to Hungary for gigs. The opener wasn't quite as good as the others, thought he was looking at his watch but I think he was looking at notes on his arm. Another said he was told he looked like some famous people, such as an airline bossman, along with the Nirvana frontman. They didn't seem to have popcorn, had pistachios in a stoneware cup. It rained a lot, had to change socks more than once. Plenty of pictures taken, the Union Jack flags were everywhere, because of the big celebration of the monarch's jubilee. Queen Elizabeth II is the just the second to reach a diamond (60-year) jubilee, the other is Queen Victoria. It was hard to find a fish and chips place, but a 'goodwill ambassador' said most any pub would serve it. A few places known for them were closed. Watched some of the TV coverage of the jubilee there. Most notable thing was seeing the boats on the Thames River.

Paddington:The Bear and the Train Station

This is the first full day in Great Britain. First time for me seeing British pounds, didn't get much for the 7 US dollars, just 4.36 pounds. It was enough to make a call to my companion's brother and get a chocolate chip shortbread cookie at a sandwich shop called Upper Crust at the train station known as Paddington. There was about 20 pence left on the quick call, after putting in 2 pounds, but nothing was refunded. I'm keeping the remaining 1.36 as souvenirs, so it meant they went right into my bag so they won't be spent at all.
    There is a souvenir shop in the station for items related to the Paddington Bear children's book series. I think I've just read one of them, can recall the bear having a note attached saying 'please look after this bear'. There is also a bronze statue, and we got a picture of it. We did have dinner with the happy couple at an Italian restaurant near their flat, which is what they call apartments here. I'm getting used to hearing 'mind the gap' on the London Underground trains, though it still sounds funny to me. I was informed 'to let' means 'for rent' here. It makes sense, since I've heard of subletting an apartment. It makes a world of difference on the usage of words.
   I saw the outside of the Tower of London, would like to go back to get a tour in. They had closed for the day. I am tired, which is expected from the jet lag. But who thought it was possible? I'm finally doing the Europe thing 20 years late. Although that was a class trip to France I couldn't afford then, instead of Great Britain.
     I did learn some things while at the Tower, like the artwork in an underpass to the gift shop. There was mention of how a wife of King Henry the 8th was imprisoned there. Also some mention of William the Conqueror. Don't know much about him, but a college roommate mentioned him before. Something in reference to his influence on the language. The monarchy appears to go back to his time. I mainly know what I was taught in 2 classes from college, covering the three centuries from Henry VIII to George III.

Moving Cube, Getting Balloon

It was a busy half day at work, thankful I was there for two reasons. I had to move my belongings to another cubicle, which I call 'Sector 7-G' in reference to 'The Simpsons'. Then 10 minutes before leaving there was a call, hardly ever get one. It was from security letting me know there was a balloon waiting for me up front, as thanks for doing a volunteer program at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis. I had the small Godfather's pizza for lunch, then it was on to some errand running. Found another Charlie Brown and Snoopy statue, since it was inside an office there are few chances to get pictures of it. But I'm thankful we found the time to get there before catching the first of two flights that got us over to Great Britain for a wedding. I packed quickly, and rented a garage for the week as I didn't want to park my car on the street for that long when I would be unable to move it if need be. We ate at the airport, and I saw it as appropriate that my companion boarded the plane first. This is my first visit to Europe, it had to be when I wanted to go. So I was fine with getting on the plane by myself. It meant another chance to go to the bathroom and say hi to the Snoopy statue, the only one in the smaller terminal at MSP airport.
   At first we were seated far apart, 16 rows. But a mom wanted to sit next to her son, so I traded seats and then the gap was just 3 rows. First flight was to the Keflavik Airport as it was on Iceland Airlines. It was a long flight for me, but I was kept occupied by talking to my seatmates. They were 2 older women, one would be going to Germany and the other Norway. In addition, there was plenty of entertainment choices at your seat if you wanted to tune in with headphones. I mainly wanted to track the flight as to when we reached the midway point, especially on the first. An animated show for kids was one of the choices, called 'Angry Ann'. Found out a word close to apple, in Icelandic, isn't apple, but orange. I got some orange soda on the first flight.
   I did read some from the Hardy Boys book I brought with me, 'Arctic Patrol Mystery', as it is about Iceland. While on layover I decided to get some souvenirs there, so it was some postcards. A few were animated features of Vikings. Surprised a little to see beer for sale at the food shop, didn't get any though. The flight to London's Heathrow Airport was much shorter. I didn't sleep much on these flights.