The Easter Beagle

   I went to church at Central Presbyterian in downtown St. Paul, and liked seeing some art on the wall in the fellowship hall. It included a map of the city in the 1880s. I liked seeing a Turner Hall being listed, a reminder of being in New Ulm. After this I went over to the former Schmidt brewery and walked around, finding a regional park on the other side, Shepard Road. I got plenty of pictures while there, including of the 'West 7th Fort Road Federation'. Like many businesses, it was closed today. But I was still able to get laundry done, and if I needed any food I went to a Superamerica. I waited until a college basketball tournament game was done before doing laundry, Michigan won to reach the Final Four. Louisville won the other game, but I didn't see much of it.
   In the evening I did watch the Charlie Brown specials on ABC with my date. It was 'The Easter Beagle' and 'Charlie Brown's All-Stars'. I looked at my bookcase in advance and found out I did have 'Easter Beagle' in book form. I've noticed how many of those TV specials seem to follow the book form fairly close. It is also a nice reminder of reading programs in schools, as there was a stamp from the RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) program inside it. When I was driving home the song I heard on my car radio was 'King Of Pain' by The Police. It is kind of a haunting song, starting off with 'A little black spot on the sun today'. It serves as a reminder of growing up in Newton, Iowa, as this was the theme for homecoming in 1983. It was stamped on that year's button, and it was memorable since it was my family's first year in Newton. With Maytag gone, and the football team not winning like before, it leaves me wondering 'Who's the king of pain now?' These two things were the source of pride in town for a long time.  

Haggar Comfort Waist

    I went to the J.C. Penney at Rosedale Mall in Roseville to use up 2 gift cards. I got some khaki pants, one of them was the Haggar 'comfort waist' model. It also spoke of Gabardine, which is not the color. The two pairs were worth a total of $50, which was also how much I had in gift cards so I owed nothing. I also went to the library to print some things.
   This evening I saw a DVD with my date made by the History Channel about the 'Five men who built America'. In the segments we saw tonight they covered 'Commodore' Vanderbilt and John D. Rockefeller. I had studied some of these people in various history classes, they were usually known as 'robber barons'. But it was the first time I recalled hearing about these businessmen partnering, at least Vanderbilt and Rockefeller anyway. Carnegie and Morgan are covered later, and as I recall those two partnered on some ventures.
   In the afternoon we went to do some errand running, like going to the pet store and shoe store. Then we ate at Boston Market, first time I had been there in a while. Since I was finishing up the Little Caesar's pizza I said I wanted something besides pizza.
   I did watch some of the college basketball tournament, I know Syracuse and Wichita State advanced to the Final Four. I didn't watch much of these games though. It prompted me to look up the meaning of the Wichita State mascot, the 'Shocker' or 'Wheatshocker'. As expected, it is much like the Nebraska Cornhusker, as both are involved in harvesting the crop. Wheat is a common crop in Kansas. I liked hearing some of the spring training baseball game on the radio, the Twins against Boston, the final one before the regular season begins. I liked knowing they were so close to the action that one could hear the food vendors in the stands, selling popcorn, peanuts, and cracker jacks.

Park Nicollet Ad

   I was answering surveys online tonight and one of them included a Park Nicollet ad, a Twin City health provider. I wasn't sure as to if I had seen the ad before, but responded and said I probably had. What are the odds? I saw it multiple times tonight after doing the survey. The most memorable thing from it was holding a fish that got away. I did watch some of the regionals tonight in the college basketball tournament. The one game that I saw any part of was Duke against Michigan State, from the Midwest regional in Indianapolis. I know Duke won to advance and will play Louisville in the regional final.
    I also heard from my college roommate, which was nice as it had been a while. I had a fish sandwich at McDonald's for lunch but not the fries. According to the board I think the fries were higher calories than the sandwich! I had heard this one in my employer's health program, how skipping the fries does save on plenty of calories.
   This day is known as Good Friday, and it reminds me of what my mom often would ask me- if I got the day off. I said no, but we get Easter Sunday off. She's more religious than I am, but times have changed as well- as more businesses are open on Sundays and other days when they had previously been closed. On ABC's 'Nightline' show there was a feature about a day in the life of a polar bear. The leadoff story was about parents getting a sleep consultant when their kids keep them awake nearly all night.

Briefcase In 5th Grade

   I stayed in after picking up a Little Caesar's pizza after work as I wanted to get more caught up on reading the papers. I read 4 more editions- 3 of them Fridays- so now I am finished through the middle of the month. It's all about choices and priorities, as I can go to the library to print things on another day. I wanted to stay in and watch some of the college basketball tournament anyway as it's now the regional round. Not all of the games are on CBS, just the two from the East regional in Washington, DC. Updates were provided from the West regional in Los Angeles, broadcast on TBS. Marquette and Syracuse won in D.C. When I was halfway through what I wanted to read for the night I stepped out and had a Shamrock Shake at McDonald's. While walking over there I picked up plenty of trash, and ended up with 7 more pull tabs for my bank at work. It still saddens me to see how much litter is out there, but I do what I can.
   The funny columnist was good as usual, he was in the Friday editions from the Minneapolis paper. The first column was about what the state should ban on Sundays, and suggested that Target stores be closed that day. It of course was a reference to car dealers and liquor stores being closed on this day. In the next column he weighed in on the bully laws going through the state legislature, and claims he had a briefcase in 5th grade which was likely why he was bullied. The third column was about the 'Snack tax bill'. He said we should slap a tax on what other people enjoy the most.
   I found plenty of notable articles in these four editions. One was on the front page, about Best Buy founder Richard Schulze ending his bid to retake the company. Then there was former pro basketball player Dennis Rodman meeting with the North Korean dictator. The controversial former sports star stories didn't end there, as one writer suggested that baseball whistleblower Jose Canseco sign with the St. Paul Saints. Advice columnist Carolyn Hax said a woman should skip the 'Hands off my man' confrontations. At the Sabes film festival, there was a screening of  'Roman Polanski- a film memoir'. I have been to this film festival before, 2 years ago.
   I found multiple articles about the woes at J.C. Penney, how the stock price isn't doing well. It's a reminder of how I have two gift cards and maybe I should use them soon. It depends as to what the news is in the entertainment realm as to if I am interested. There was mention of actress Valerie Harper having terminal brain cancer, I knew her as Rhoda on 'Mary Tyler Moore' and then of course 'Valerie', a show she left due to a contract dispute. There were articles and pictures about the death of Hugo Chavez, the head of state in Venezuela. The one non-Friday edition, from my birthday, was the St. Paul paper and had a review of a restaurant called Ward 6 on the East Side of St. Paul.
   In business news, there was mention of the first opening of a converted chicken outlet- from Kentucky Fried Chicken to Popeye's. More than a dozen in the Twin Cities were sold after the franchisee filed for bankruptcy, and GE Capital, a major creditor, approved of the deal. A former congressman didn't like seeing airline mergers, but expects the proposed merger between American Airlines and US Air to go through. I leafed through the special section from the Auto Show, an event I did attend. A Cargill analyst has been doing well on the game show 'Jeopardy'. There were multiple articles about the new pope, Francis, and how he chose this name in reference to St. Francis of Assisi. Next to it was an article about his order, the Jesuits, and how it began with St. Ignatius of Loyola. They operate various colleges in America, including Georgetown in the nation's capital. An exhibit on photojournalism has opened at the Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis. Hostess is selling its Drake's Cakes unit to Little Debbie, and there was an arrest of a teen who did the 'Gallon smash' prank at a Target store in St. Paul. I am on the City Pages email list and liked reading part of the article about the declining TV ratings for Major League Baseball's World Series. I hope to find a hard copy so I read the rest of it as I am still fine with reading hard copies.  

Somerset Maugham

    Tonight I was going through a catalog of books that had been mailed to me recently. I wanted to look through the entire catalog before destroying it. I had to look up one of the writers mentioned, it was Somerset Maugham. By pure coincidence I'm sure, I found out it was the author of 'Razor's Edge'. I knew the movie version was available at the library, starring Bill Murray, but haven't seen it yet. I don't plan on ordering any of the books or videos as usual but there is some knowledge to be gained from reading the listings. I'm keeping three pages for this reason, and I've done this before. I have them in an envelope that includes a catalog from the History Book Club, which I did order books from. It may have been how I ended up on their mailing list.
   At the comedy club tonight, I did go onstage and it went well telling more new jokes. This time it was about the crazies on the bus. Besides the grouchy woman, who I saw this morning, there was another older woman in the evening who kept saying 'National security, national security'. She had a hoodie on and a doily for a scarf. She was behind me on the bus by a row or so, and due to this I heard her rantings well, like it or not. One was about George Bush, another was about how New York City didn't do this. And how to pick their czar, but Gorbachev wasn't a czar. And he she can't discuss national security in libraries. Even something about the Catholic Church. The joke I had was how I've seen crazies before on the bus, and they either are crazy or just want people to think they are so other leave them alone. Either way, I don't bother to ask them. This includes somebody who talks to themself, saying 'what' and 'so what'.
 

Cat Carrier On Bus

   Tonight after work a woman boarded the bus and had a cat carrier or 'pet taxi'. She said the cat had just been to the vet and this is why it kept meowing. It probably was going to happen as long as it was 'in jail'. Also near me was a man from Mississippi, who said that it was great being in Minnesota 'except for the weather'. He also spoke of his annoyance with the media coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, saying too much emphasis was put on New Orleans. I said I had heard the joke how FEMA means 'Forget everyone but metro areas'.
  At the comedy club tonight there were two comics introduced as 'special guests', I knew one of them but not the other. The one I know does the carrot cake and balding jokes. The one I didn't know was from out of town, the show runner told me New Jersey. I liked his joke about 'Star Wars', in reference to Harrison Ford doing another one of those movies despite being long in the tooth. It worked for me as he did a good imitation of Chewbacca. When an earlier comic did a joke about Lou Gehrig's disease I said 'it's been done', as I recall Denis Leary did a similar joke. I get bored with those who do unoriginal jokes.
   'The Simpsons' syndicated rerun I saw tonight was one I liked, a recent one where robots worked the nuke plant. Homer was the token human employee. One of them had hilarious observations about things, like the DH rule in baseball, also about 'Rudy', the Notre Dame football player. How he was put in at the end of a meaningless game, in reference to Milhouse wanting to play.  

Rappers And Clowns

   It was a more enjoyable night than typical at the comedy club. It helped that I knew the show closer, who is back from California to headline this week. I liked his joke about how rappers and clowns have plenty of things in common. It was one of the two shout-outs for the night. The other was when I laughed at the joke about a Mariachi band request at an Italian restaurant. Same one that has done the bathtub joke, along with 'Aggressive cuddler'. I was told that many recognize my laugh, not sure how. But another comic said my laugh 'Pierces the soul' and is like a supervillain. I said I was going for that, at least the latter.
   I was picked to go onstage, which also helped with this feeling as there is no substitute for stagetime. I did a few more new jokes, such as bathrooms at concerts and the feeling of being a 'Crockpot in a world of microwave ovens'. This was actually the third shoutout, since I got one from the comic that followed me. I like the feeling of being a tough act to follow. A crowdmember found me after the show, and I gladly answered questions about the craft. I said the best advice I could give anyone is: Have fun up there, otherwise why do it if one doesn't enjoy it? I was told how he liked my enthusiasm telling jokes, of course I like hearing this. It can be helpful to see the mirror image, it is why I like to film myself as much as possible to see what works and what doesn't.
  At work I liked seeing a former colleague when returning from lunch. We embraced, can't recall the last time we had seen each other in person. I referred to her as the 'Perky girl'. She said she was interviewing for a position, so she may be coming back to the office.

On The Road Movie

  This evening I went to see the movie 'On The Road' at the Uptown theater in Minneapolis. First time at this venue since it re-opened. Looks like an upscale theater now, with leather seats and being able to pick your seat when buying the ticket. There is also beer and wine service now, had to look further for it after seeing an empty beer bottle in a nearby seat's drink holder while leaving.
  Now for the movie itself. There were some scenes depicted in it that I did recall from reading the book, such as ending up at a brothel in Mexico. But some things were cut out for the movie version, like there was no mention of Inez. This was one woman that Dean Moriarty was married to. The book was just over 300 pages so it made sense that some things were going to be cut out. When they were in Louisiana I did like seeing a Maytag washing machine, being a Maytag brat myself. But I had to say to myself how it was the wrong logo for the era they covered, the late 1940s. It would have been accurate if they had it spelled out in cursive, instead of in all caps after the shapes that form an 'M'. I know they do what they can when making movies to make it look authentic. I like staying for the closing credits, as it did state how Francis Ford Coppola (the 'Godfather' director) and his son Roman Coppola were a part of the project. Both were producers, the older Coppola was listed as an executive producer. I am thankful I finished the book before seeing the movie, as I understood the story better.
   In the afternoon I was in Minneapolis as well, as I saw the play 'Jackie and Me' with my date, about baseball player Jackie Robinson, at the Children's Theater. This was inside the art museum. The play did cover just about everything relevant to his playing years, including mention of teams he played for before the Dodgers like the minor-league team in Montreal. After seeing the book series in the gift shop section it made more sense when finding a DVD at the library, called 'Winning Season' as it was based on 'Honus and Me'. This play and the movie started out with the same premise, where the kid goes back in time thanks to a baseball card. It was annoying to see late arrivers coming into our row. Memorable was the enthusiasm from the shuttle bus driver, who gave out high-fives and said he was 'Meathead' on the Archie Bunker show. I said he did look a little like Rob Reiner. I like seeing those who have enthusiasm for their work, sure makes up for those who don't.
 

Why Must Snow White Die?

   When I was heading back to my car after shopping at Walmart I saw somebody in their car with a book, titled 'Snow White Must Die'. My first question was why. I liked going there to use a gift card for my birthday, so now the number I have is down to two- both JC Penney cards. I wanted to get two frames for artwork, and the card covered all but 29 cents.
    I went to a bowling outing with my date in the afternoon in St. Louis Park. There was pizza served so I ate some of the pizza before getting started on bowling. I did fairly well, we bowled two games and my scores were 138 and 137. I consider it to be fairly good as long as I pass 100.
    After the event we went to a Target to see what Charlie Brown specials they had. I got one called 'It's Spring Training', hadn't heard of it before. I liked it as I like baseball of course. It was nice to see Charlie's team win a game. What I said was that it made sense for them to win as a hardware store owner agreed to buy them uniforms if they won a game. I also got 'Bucket List' there, a reminder of how I wanted to get it at Best Buy recently.
   Notable as well was picking up some more art, at a Family Dollar of all places. It was a small piece of artwork depicting a bathtub on legs, listed as $2 but got it for $1. It reminded me of the bathtub in the house I grew up in. It seemed appropriate to put it in the bathroom, so I placed it on top of the toilet tank.
 

Texas Longhorns Baseball

    After work I went over to the Metrodome to see a college baseball game. It was the Minnesota Gophers against the Texas Longhorns. I knew plenty of notable players were Longhorns, including Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. Since I haven't been to the College World Series in Omaha since 2010 I wanted to take advantage of the chance to see some top-notch baseball. The Gophers won 5-1, after leading 5-0 through two innings. The attendance was what I expected, sadly, as it was just over 400. College baseball doesn't interest most people. Weather makes a difference in the North. But it also has to compete with professional (major and minor league) baseball as well.
   The Gopher pitcher, Tom Windle, threw a complete game. He had plenty of strikeouts, according to my scorecard it was 12. There was an interview included saying he had just pitched a complete game no-hitter against Western Illinois, the first by a Gopher since 1931. The Longhorn fans started out with doing 'I've Been Working on the Railroad' and then were drowned out by the Gopher fight song, where they spell out 'Minnesota'. During the game there was an announcement about the Gopher women's hockey team winning 3-2 against Boston College, in overtime, in the national tournament.
   There were plenty of other things I wrote down on my scorecard. One thing was 'Showing bunt, nobody on'. I thought to myself- 'Really? it's early in the game'. Another was 'Give it to a kid' when somebody kept a foul ball. Annoucements are made encouraging fans to return foul balls. On another foul ball, I said 'What are the odds? right in the drink holder.' And of course the music. There was 'Dynamite' by Taio Cruz. I like it as it speaks of being the last one standing. I recognized the lyrics that said 'Cadillac, horns on the hood' and found out it was 'Barefoot Bluejean Night' by Jake Owen. Seemed appropriate when playing the Texas Longhorns. During a conference on the mound, it was 'Little Less Conversation' by Elvis Presley, which was funny on some level to me. Enjoyed hearing 'Raise Your Glass' by Pink as I had just seen her concert this week. BTO's 'Taking Care of Business' was another one I recognized, along with 'Use Your Love' by Outfield and 'Running Down a Dream' by Tom Petty. Another country song I didn't recognize was played, I heard the lyric 'Funny how a melody sounds like a memory' and found out it was 'Springsteen' by Eric Church. When I often connect memories with music of course this lyric resonates with me.
   Before the game I got pictures around the Dome of banners that displayed various events held there like the 'Rollerdome'. For those who know me it comes as no surprise that I went over to Bobby and Steve's to get some Godfather's Pizza, a pepperoni. I got a drink in a bottle called 'Fentimans' but it didn't taste that great to me, may be an acquired taste. There's a dog on the bottlecap, possibly a Huskie or Alaskan. Even saw some young men skateboarding near the Dome. It doesn't bother me any to see this, as I think of the Gus Van Sant movie 'Paranoid Park' which was about skateboarders.
   After the game I rode the light rail to the airport, and met a couple who was visiting from Texas, of course rooting for the Longhorns. They spoke of how Austin, where the campus is located, hasn't had light rail for long. Shortly after getting on at the Dome we had to transfer to a shuttle bus as there was an 'incident on the track'. My guess was somebody committed suicide, according to their smartphone it was somebody's car that hit a train, so close enough. They were riding until the Mall of America, so I got off before them. I said 'Good luck to you both'. It sounded like they were attending all three games this weekend. I saw my plans and said just the first game fit my schedule.
  At work I had to deal with copiers breaking down, hard to do some kinds of work without them. At lunchtime I got plenty of pictures at the Hamm's (beer) Building as this is the last day their post office is open before it is merged with another one. I did get some stamps as I liked the art on them. After the game I liked seeing the song 'Walking in Memphis' being performed on Jay Leno, by the in-house band. It prompted me to find the song on Youtube, as it was a fond reminder of visiting my college roommate in Memphis in 2008. On ABC's 'Nightline' show the opening feature was about 'Glock' guns, a popular weapon.

Scribble and Yammer

   I had to remind myself that the first-run episode of 'Big Bang Theory' wouldn't be on tonight due to the college basketball tournament. I still watched the syndicated rerun, where Howard needed to fix the toilet for the space station. Also liked one from earlier this week, about the gang going to Las Vegas and Howard getting the 'Jewish girlfriend experience' from a prostitute paid for by Raj and Leonard.
  Since I didn't go to the library to print things, I had plenty of time for other things to do. This meant getting more caught up on reading. I read from more than a month of the papers I had bought, from mid-January to the end of February, mostly Friday editions of course. The funny columnist was good as usual. He covered subjects like giving up smoking, Dinkytown (a section of Minneapolis), along with my favorite, a state Supreme Court case where somebody was called a 'tool'. This was where he spoke of being a tool is sometimes a good thing as they are useful. This is in contrast to the writer himself, who even said he 'scribbles and yammers for a living'. I once was told by a colleague, when I was working in suburban Chicago, that I was yammering. I understood it wasn't in any way meant to be a compliment. Later subjects he covered included the need for a vibrant downtown, snow emergencies, and a study about Minneapolis city services. I also liked finding an article about how the former Schmidt brewery site in St. Paul is getting a museum, and a small brewery. I like museums so I will want to tour it when it opens. It sounds like it's on a part of the complex that doesn't face what I see when going past, which is West 7th Street. So more investigation will be needed. I bought both the Minneapolis and St. Paul papers on one particular day in early February as I wanted to read the articles about the upcoming Lady Gaga concert. I didn't attend it but the articles were a nice read.
   It was a fairly routine day at work, I did get more copying of files done compared to the previous day. I said to a colleague that I 'needed to find a rhythm' and I knew from my track record how this usually doesn't happen on the first day. I have to find out what works and what doesn't. While taking the bus home tonight I saw a rider that I may not have seen since the snowstorms from December. This was memorable as we spoke for a while then. This time it was mostly about concerts. It was helpful to start off with saying I saw Pink this week. She had shared about seeing Hanson at First Avenue in Minneapolis, a venue I have been to but only once so far.

America The Beautiful State Quarters

    I was searching for a car repair receipt tonight in a box and found it, but found some other notable items as well. One of these was a page of bookmarks and bookplates from Working Assets, my cellphone provider. The other was a brochure about the 'America The Beautiful' state quarters collection. It says it's an exclusive collector's set 'available here only', from PCS stamps and coins. I did print out the scheduled release date on these quarters earlier this week, as I wanted a list to help me with tracking the ones I do and don't have. I did get all six of the territories, including for the capital city of Washington, DC. I've been trying to save the quarters honoring national parks, these are the ones known as 'America The Beautiful'. I know the one for Iowa will be the Effigy Mounds. There are just two National Park Service properties in the state, and the other is the Herbert Hoover museum. But much like the original state quarter series from 1999-2008, it will be spread out over a number of years. I'm thankful I saved it as even though I may not order much when these kinds of mailings arrive, I still like the information available on it. With the National Park quarters I have 12 of the first 15, a good record but not sure about how to acquire the 3 I don't have yet.
   I made it to the comedy club tonight, and a friend was onstage just before the show closer. He did do the 'smoke bomb' joke and the 'porn in the hotel room' joke, and I like both of these. I asked if there were some upcoming shows. I was informed there will be one in downtown Minneapolis soon. Hopefully the diner skit I am in will be a part of it.
   I did a long survey about car brands and amassed enough points to dump 500 more miles in the American Airlines account. So I will have enough for a half-price ticket when they post. At work I was informed of a small raise that will take effect next month. I also found out by accident that my boss is paid less often, twice a month instead of weekly like I am. I wrote out thank-you letters to all who sent birthday cards earlier this month, all going to Iowa. Some are family, but one is the mother of a classmate from high school. I was asked to help with a special project, copying of bankrupt accounts, after my normal duties were finished for the day. It's tedious and I don't enjoy it, hopefully it won't last long.  

Pink (or P!nk) Concert

   I went to the Pink concert at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul tonight. Good show all around, heard most of the songs I had hoped to hear. There were a few not played but I know that the purpose of a tour is to promote the new album. One of these was 'Get This Party Started', a reminder of attending Chicago Wolves hockey games when living in that area.
  I had to get used to seeing a ringmaster, but it worked for me after a while. He was helpful for comic relief and for the transitions. I recognized most songs and did my best to write them down on an index card. I did get a souvenir, a program, much like at the Lady Gaga show at the same venue more than two years ago.
  There were plenty of shirts available at the show, but I know those have a limited shelf life so I rarely get them. I like programs as I like having something to read. It of course is mostly pictures, but I did like seeing the comic book glued to a page in the middle. It says 'The Truth About Love'- the name of the tour- and P!nk Comics on the cover. I've kept the comic book inside the plastic but may read it at some point.
  My seat at the show was in the first row in the upper deck, straight back from the stage and with a good view of one of the monitors on the side of the stage. I was at the end of the row so it was annoying to let people out all the time. I did hear before attending this show how she's already booked a return visit to the area, early November at the Target Center in Minneapolis. But I won't be going to that one. I've seen some musicians more than once before, but not on the same tour. After the show I said her performance in my book is rivaled only by Lady Gaga's.
    The opening song was 'Raise Your Glass'. This is from the one CD of Pink's that I don't have- Greatest Hits, with a few new songs on it. I have the six studio CDs. When I was writing down songs on the index card in the dark I knew it may not be legible. In some cases I wrote down the most memorable lyric if I didn't know the song title, but I knew most of the song titles played. She did do a Chris Isaak cover, 'Wicked Game'. I knew it as the slow one that speaks of falling in love. 'Family Portrait' was one I could relate to, being from a broken family. When introducing 'How Come You're Not Here' she said she plays it as her husband is PO'd when hearing it. The clean version of 'Perfect' was played. The final song was 'Glitter in the Air'. During the two encore songs she swung through the air above the crowd while harnessed. As expected, it was therapeutic to be there. I did scream my approval after certain songs were finished. What I like about concerts- and football games- is that one can yell and scream as much as you want. Nobody cares as most everyone else is doing the same thing. While riding the bus home I was surprised to see an older couple on the bus saying they had just been to the show. Some concert reviewers did note how there was a wide variety of ages in the crowd, apparently from 10 to 60. This is likely due to liking Pink for being an empowered woman. The older couple said they had been to her show in Dallas. I didn't see much of the opening act, City and Colour, which is typical at concerts as I am mainly there for the headliner.

John Koblas

   Recently I read the obits and noticed how John Koblas had died. This was a writer I had met multiple times while attending the Jesse James festival in Northfield. As I recall I have one of his books but would need to search for it. I had been informed at some point how he had Parkinson's disease. I had seen his writings referenced before like in an article in the Minnesota history magazine.
    At the comedy club tonight I commented to a comic before the show how the book he was carrying looked a lot like the Bible. He said the publisher was going for this look. But it was actually a book about picking up girls with low self-esteem. He took it onstage and read from it, also had an assistant read the girl's lines. Then he left it on a chair onstage and later comics did reference it some in their jokes.
    I finished reading 'On The Road' by Jack Kerouac on the bus this morning. It was my goal to finish it before seeing the movie version, which is slated for wider release this month. When I was getting near the end I was wondering if the book would end in Mexico City but it doesn't. According to the Wikipedia article, there has been some interest in doing a movie version for a while. This dates back to the 1950s, shortly after it was published. One proposal was to have Marlon Brando be in it. The lasting impression I have from the book is that the main character, Sal, will defend his friend Dean Moriarty in front of all critics no matter what.

VW Beetle Diecast Model Car

    When I went grocery shopping tonight, I decided to get more than just food. I guessed there was a display with diecast model cars, and these items were going for $6. I had to check closely on each shelf and eventually I saw a newer VW Beetle being available, at first I just found the older one. There were multiple colors, and I am pleased that I found a green one, my favorite color. As I recall, it was the color of the one I had driven as a rental. Now I feel less of a need to order anything online, as I like taking care of the shipping myself when finding it in a store.
   In the early evening I went to the Timberwolves basketball game with my date, they beat New Orleans 97-95. Before the game I got two souvenirs, a bumper sticker and a magnet. It's hard to say when my next Target Center event will be, though there are a variety of events at this venue. Besides the Wolves I've also seen the Shrine Circus, the Harlem Globetrotters, and some concerts there.
   We did two things in the afternoon before leaving for the game. One of these was watching a 'Little House' episode. It was one about the Ingalls family getting an inheritence. But in the end it amounted to being just Confederate currency, apparently worthless. We also tried watching the Big Ten Conference basketball tournament final, Wisconsin vs. Ohio State. But we were tired and fell alseep during it. I found out the Iowa Hawkeyes didn't make the NCAA tournament, but the lesser-known NIT. They open with a home game against Indiana State. I had attended the tournament seven straight years somewhere in the Midwest, but have no plans of doing so this year.   

Minneapolis Auto Show

   I went to the auto show in Minneapolis in the afternoon. I had been to Chicago's auto show, but it had been a number of years. I got a pin from for free, it says 'Minnesota's Auto Show' on it and looks like a Minnesota license plate. I picked up literature from the American carmakers represented there, including Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, and Buick. There were 3 Ford Mustangs on display and I got a picture of all 3. One was a Shelby and another (on a platform) was a Cobra. The wait for the ride in a Jeep up a hill was too long, over 30 minutes. So I didn't do this, as there are plenty of other things to see and do. I did sit inside some cars, one of the Mustangs as well as a Dodge Avenger and a 'Fender edition' VW Beetle. I had driven a Beetle as a rental before. It was also nice to see some classic cars, though this was a small part of the exhibit. One of them was a Corvair, and I correctly guessed this one. On the back was a sticker with a reference to Ralph Nader, whose book 'Unsafe At Any Speed' essentially killed the Corvair. At the VW display there was plenty of merchandise in a case, and a web address directed people to it. No pen and paper to write it down, so I took a picture of it, and this works just as well. Hard to say what in the case appeals to me since I haven't owned a VW but I did notice a foam football is available. I have too many shirts already so one of those would be a bad idea. I have seen die-cast models of the Beetles at grocery stores, so there are some options for merchandise where I may not have to order online.
   I had to do my errand running early due to attending the auto show, this included laundry and returning the Redbox movie. While walking to the bus stop to start my journey I picked up a coin. It's a little rusted but I could make out what it says on both sides. 'Night Owl Party Accessories' was on one side and 'Pregame Party Pack' on the other. Haven't heard of this establishment before.

Seven Psychopaths Movie

    I went to Redbox and used my free day for the movie 'Seven Psychopaths' tonight. This was the free day given to me for my birthday. The movie was all right, but a little odd. It was about writing a movie screenplay. The actors in it included Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, and Christopher Walken. I think it was hearing about all of these actors in it was what made me say I wanted to see it. I tried to write down who each of the psychopaths were but it was hard to follow for some of them. The movie started out with a song called 'Angel of Death', sounded like it was performed by Hank Williams.
   I needed to ride three buses to get home from work tonight, usually it is just one. But I wanted to get over to the fish fry at the American Legion on the East Side, so I went there first. I ended up taking three different bus routes. The fish was good, and so were the other things like the green beans, macaroni, and little potatoes. I had plenty of milk, and for dessert I chose a plate with 2 little eclairs and a piece of carrot cake. I was likely thinking of a friend's carrot cake joke as to why I chose this plate in particular. Somebody next to me was entered into a meat raffle. It was starting to snow around this time of day. I noticed one bus line going back downtown from my old neighborhood seemed to be arriving more quickly than the one I used to get there. This was one reason I was on different routes on each ride, as I went over to a different bus stop at the same intersection. I was waiting over by the Liberty income tax service, well known for somebody dressing up in a Statue of Liberty costume to bring in customers. But I saw no dressed-up mascot when I was there.
   It was a fairly routine day at work, most notable was lunchtime of course with the errand running I did. I got another box of Girl Scout cookies, so now there's two boxes not yet opened. Also went over to the Macy's one last time for their liquidation sale and got a greeting card for fifty cents. There wasn't much left, and they are closing Saturday for good. Even the pillow shams, at 80 percent off, were more than what I wanted to pay.
   The Redbox I went to is inside a McDonald's, so I decided to get a shamrock shake while I was there. I had to pause and listen to the song playing before leaving, it was 'Mandolin Rain' by Bruce Hornsby and The Range. I read a paper from January, still behind on this. There was news about Supervalu, the grocery chain, selling off some stores. Also liked reading the funny columnist speak about a 'New York Mills think-off' where compromising is one principle he will not compromise on. There was also some mention of cutting off part of your leg to make a point. 'Nightline' had some features that interested me, starting with one about binge drinking at Spring Break. Another was laws passed to stop hidden cameras at farms. It included a clip of Iowa's governor, Terry Branstad, speaking about it.

Old Dutch Puffcorn

    I noticed I hadn't went through food wrappers in a while. According to my records it was last done nearly two months ago, on January 21. But I like looking at what I eat and writing it down helps, so I've done this for a while. There were 5 empty bags of Old Dutch puffcorn, I like eating it when I have a craving for popcorn. I can find it at Superamerica, and this helps get me more points with my loyalty card, so it works well for me to get it there. I like how it's cheap, just 99 cents a bag. No surprise how I had plenty of Lay's BBQ potato chip bags, fifteen in all. Getting Frito-Lay products helps with point totals as well, as it gives me a free bag every so often. There was also 6 bags of Doritos, and 8 Hershey bars. I know the Hershey bars are due to finding out it helps with the point totals with my Walgreen loyalty card. The Reese's peanut butter helps with both cards, as SA has the seasonal ones more than some places.
   At work I was asked to do somebody else's job, as some special requests hadn't been delivered. It was no big deal to me, as it was afternoon so I had already finished the payoff report. I said I normally do those within the hour as they don't take long and there generally aren't many waiting. Unsure why they hadn't been done. One of them actually wasn't a delivery but perfecting a document already in the file. But what I do with special requests is to find them and then read the printed message to see what is being requested. And in most cases, it usually means delivery of the document. I pride myself on being available to help, being willing to help out in any way I can. I was asked as it appeared no one else was available at the time. It wasn't too big of a deal to have been out of the office for one day, as there was a fairly low number of emails waiting and even fewer that appeared to be urgent.

Kenya 3D IMAX Movie

    I had the day off from work and went to the zoo in Apple Valley for a mentoring event. The first activity we did was see the 3D movie about Kenya at the IMAX theater. I haven't seen 3D movies much before but it was a good one. The term 'Lion's share' seemed to make more sense to me after seeing it. Since a lion stalks its prey and no other animal eats from the carcass until the lion has its fill. My student asked me if I had written any big papers in school, I said I had. I was impressed about these being history papers he tells me he had been writing as it was my college major. In fact it was subjects I had covered in a colloquium class: plague narratives. It was about the Black Plague- or Black Death- as well as the flu epidemic during World War I. I was also asked I ever had surgery done, since my student informed me of upcoming surgery on tonsils as well as an ear. I was told there was a parking fee, but I didn't pay it as nobody asked me to pay it. After having an early lunch we did look around most of the zoo, as there was the scavenger hunt worksheet to be completed. I pointed out the way to the ampitheater where I had seen concerts before. While in the gift shop I nearly got emotional when I heard the song 'Time of your life' by Green Day. Not sure why, other than I recall it being on episodes of 'ER'. Also liked hearing one by Dramarama, 'Anything Anything'.
   After this event was done I went on to the Best Buy in Eagan. I looked at the music and movies, but very little appealed to me. Most of the movies now appear to be Blue-ray, don't have that kind of player. I did find one I liked on DVD, 'Bucket List'. When an employee asked if I needed help, I said I just needed the checkout line. But then I proceeded to speak of being disgusted with how my points expired in the loyalty program, just before I was to earn another gift certificate. I was told 'Can't do anything for you' even though it was 1 of 8 loyalty programs I have- and NONE of them have expiring points- at least this quick. So I said I should have known this would be the response, said 'Bye', and how I no longer wanted the DVD. So I put it back. I actually did want the video, and it was just five dollars, but it was largely the principle at this point. I am sure I can find it at another store like Target or Walmart, or even online. Then it was on to find two more Charlie Brown and Snoopy statues with my date. I am thrilled that we are still finding them, though we are running low on leads.
   At the comedy club tonight, I did go onstage and did mostly new jokes. This included one I thought of earlier today when I saw plenty of turkeys in the suburbs. 

Dial Bar Soap

    I needed some bar soap and went to Walgreen at lunchtime in hopes of finding their store brand. They were out of it when I went to another location recently. But this downtown location didn't have it either. So I bought a 3-pack of Dial bar soap, which I had used on a regular basis before. I've been fine with buying just one bar at a time, but if it's hard to find that way then I can get used to buying it as a multipack. Then I will have to buy it less often. As expected, no points on my loyalty card from the purchase. But I got some points from the previous visit, as I got three Hershey bars.
   I went to use a pizza coupon for my birthday at the Chicago hot dog place before going to the comedy club tonight. I ended up waiting an hour for it, was told they lost the ticket during their rush time. I had my money refunded for the pizza, so it meant I just had to pay for the can of soda pop that I drank. The lesson learned here, at this point, is to avoid ordering pizza. It seemed to work better to get a chili cheese dog, since it's single serving anyway.
   I still made it to the comedy club, and I did like the comics I saw upon my arrival. One of them was back from New York, and did jokes about no meat on Fridays since it's Lent. He made a reference to athletes that I caught, as the two played for Cardinal teams (baseball and football)- Ozzie Smith and Larry Fitzgerald. Of course 'Cardinal' in this case also referred to the Catholic church. The show closer was really good. I spoke with the show runner after the show and said so, then said the same to the performer when I reached the bar area. I bought a shirt he was selling, he had sold quite a few. The message on it was a reference to natural selection. He said he didn't have a comedy CD out yet, I like those as well. He said he was from Iowa like me, Des Moines. One joke was about his kid's night light burning out.

Muscle Car Stamps

    I was able to send some items home today from work after having to leave them at the office due to attending the hockey tournament on Friday. This included the stamps I bought, muscle cars from the 1960s and early 1970s. All of the Big Three were represented. One of them was a Shelby, a variation on the Ford Mustang. From General Motors, there was a Chevelle and a Pontiac GTO. From Chrysler there was the Plymouth Barracuda and the Dodge Charger. It's a sheet of 20, so each one is there 4 times.
  It was a long day at work, high volume so real busy. But I didn't mind as it made the day got more quickly. There was something dropped off about 'Develop U' week but I haven't looked at it yet, looked like a notebook.
   At the comedy club tonight, I called my dad back as there was a voicemail waiting on my cellphone saying he had called Sunday afternoon. He was interested in how I had seen the play 'Our American Cousin' recently and was asking about the storyline of the play. I did my best to describe it, saying it did remind me of the movie 'King Ralph', in terms of the culture clashes depicted. He tells me he has seen the movie 'Lincoln' 3 times now, I usually see a movie just once at theaters. I liked one friend doing the 'aggressive cuddler' joke tonight. The show closer picked somebody out of the crowd as her stand-in onstage, then kept the microphone while she took a seat in the crowd. I had seen this done before, and it still works for me.  

A Place At The Table Movie

   In the afternoon I saw the movie 'A Place At The Table' at the Lagoon in Minneapolis with my date. We were given pins for attending it. I figured we should see it soon since there were just 2 showings scheduled for today. This tells me it may not be around much longer. This of course was a documentary, and it was compelling in more ways than one. At times it made me sad, other times angry. The truth about what happens in our world is not always positive. I did end up with another souvenir, it is a card I found near the front door. I like having these as it's nice art, since I like collecting postcards. 'One nation, underfed' is on it, just below a fork with stars and stripes on it. And how it's from the people that brought you 'Food, Inc.' This was another documentary I had seen, about corporate farming. It examines the issue of hunger through the lens of three people struggling with food insecurity, going to a big city (Philadelphia) but also to rural areas (in Mississippi, and Colorado). Many will remember it for actor Jeff Bridges being in it, as he often speaks of the food problem. But there are various non-famous food experts in it as well. I am aware of how the problem is not necessarily a food shortage, but how the cheapest food is not the healthiest. Like many other documentaries I've seen, they travel to America's capital city as it means meeting with lawmakers and trying to get the laws changed. But it appears that not all in Washington, DC, care enough about it. One valid point was how the amount of money spent on agribusiness lobbyists is second only to those for the oil industry!
   After some errand running I ended up making a return visit to Uptown Minneapolis, for a comedy show- The Turkeys. It was the same venue where I had seen a Valley Meadows show in August. I arrived after making a visit to an ATM, and the show didn't start on time. But this wasn't a big deal to me. There were various skits shown, except for the one I am in. But I still liked the ones I saw. Maybe the next show will have it, as I liked seeing the skit before. One friend seemed stressed about it all before the show began. It was hard to hide when I arrived and I asked if a big crowd was expected. I think he was preoccupied with wanting to see that the electronics, the techie part of it, would run smoothly.

The Harlem Shuffle

   With all of the hype around the 'Harlem Shake' dance I had to look up 'Harlem Shuffle' on Youtube. It was a Rolling Stones song I heard as a youngster. The video I found had Carmen Electra in it, who was doing various suggestive poses. Does it seem relevant again when she was married to former NBA player Dennis Rodman, who just met with the North Korean dictator? possibly.
    I just e-filed my federal income tax return through H and R Block, later than most years. Now it's on to the state return soon. I am able to file the federal for free but not the state return so I usually send in the state forms myself.
    The plans called for seeing the Ice Castles at Mall of America, but it was closed due to the weather. It had been raining quite a bit. It was the last scheduled day for it, so now it's closed for the season. I went over to the nearby IKEA store with my date and we got some various food items, including cheese as I really like cheese. I responded to all of my birthday wishes on Facebook that I saw, I think there were 52 total. I'm thrilled to get so many well-wishings and like letting all of these people know this. Before going to the Mall, we ate at a Perkins as there was a coupon to be used up soon. In the evening we ate at a Dairy Queen for the same reason. I found my DVD copy of the movie 'Up in the Air' and we watched it. I laughed a lot while watching it. I knew this was a Jason Reitman-directed movie, and I like many of those he's done like 'Thank You For Smoking', 'Juno', and "Young Adult'. He's willing to handle social issues that not everybody's willing to tackle. I said I liked 'Air' as it was a Midwest story, though having George Clooney in it sure helps. Most of the cities they visit are in this region. There were some things in it I said I could relate to, like seeing mostly empty cubicles in the office due to the economy. And I liked how they did cover the small-town part of the Midwest as well, when he's attending his sister's wedding in northern Wisconsin. There was one connection to my favorite movie that I liked, 'Good Will Hunting', and it was the choice of a song. A memorable one from 'Hunting' was 'Miss Misery' by Elliott Smith. In 'Air' they have another song of his, 'Angel in the Snow'.

Cigarette In Mouth Backwards

    I see so much when taking the bus to work and of course working downtown. On the bus this morning I saw a girl with her hair dyed red and wearing a dogtag around her neck. Somebody said her hair matches her shirt. At lunchtime walking through the skyway I saw a woman with a cigarette in her mouth backwards, that is not the filter end. I recognized it as the sandwich maker from a place I've frequented. Don't know if it was intentional, but of course it wasn't lit yet. My guess she was going outside to smoke.
    I got plenty accomplished at lunchtime. Besides getting a paper for the movie times, a weekly thing for me, I had three other things on my list. I got more Girl Scout cookies, I like the Dosidos. Then it was on to the Macy's liquidation sale. I got another box of the candies along with a bottle of Vitamin Water. There isn't much left that appeals to me. Finally it was to the post office inside the Hamm Building, for stamps. It looks like this post office is closing as well, in two weeks. So there will be just one left downtown. When I was coming out of this errand I saw a camera crew on the street. I briefly spoke with them when asked about the pricetag for NFL stadiums. It was comparing the taxpayer cost between the Vikings and Falcons stadiums. I said people like their sports and are willing to pay a lot to keep teams in town. Even the governor said it costs more to bring teams back after they've left. I tried to watch it after I got home tonight but it looks like all they aired was a Vikings front office member not wanting to comment about it.
   Ah yes, state tournament for hockey. I went tonight after work. Since I knew I'd have to go through security I left the candies and cookies and stamps at the office. They will be there until Monday when I can send them home more easily in my backpack. I was in line for a while for tickets, well over 30 minutes. After a ticket was sold to me I was told it was a good thing I wanted just one. Apparently they were getting close to the point where they'd have to stop selling. I got a program and went to the upper level, where I got a hot dog and a bottle of Sprite. Edina played Duluth East, and Edina won 3-2. Duluth East got a goal early, shortly after I had my food and drink. The next scoring was in the third, when Edina tied it early in the period. They got two more with around 5 minutes left, and Duluth East scored with just under two minutes left. I moved around for each period, since it was standing room only. I was behind a man in a mouth-operated wheelchair near the end. When riding the bus home I was next to an older couple who had been to the same game. They told me an Edina student had a costume on like the 'Cheesehead' but it was 'Cake-eater'. Sounds like they've embraced the term, I recall the late Jeff Rhody using this term and it wasn't meant to be flattering.
   I stopped at the McDonald's to get a shamrock shake before I finally went home. Another birthday card was waiting for me, along with the Emerson Hough letters I ordered from E-bay. I tried to watch 'Nightline' but fell asleep and missed much of it.

Hy-Vee Birthday Party Line

    Today is my birthday. I had way more emails waiting for me after work than typical. It was more than twice as many. I liked reading all of the birthday wishes from Facebook. Some are comedian friends, some are schoolmates. It includes my college roommate, who first sent me the invite to join Facebook. Already sent out a message stating I was thankful for all of the wishes. Then I got some more this evening. I watched 'Big Bang Theory' with my date, and we had dinner including some cake. I got a Kesha CD.
   When I was called with birthday wishes by my date's friend I spoke of the 'Hy-Vee birthday party line'. It was something that I recalled from being a youngster. There were many who would call in birthday wishes there. Those who grew up in Iowa are familiar with Hy-Vee as it's the dominant grocery store there. Since they were the sponsor I am thinking they had prizes available, like a random drawing for a cake. At work I did get a card signed by my immediate boss and the senior leader, and there was no name on the envelope. I decided to stick it in the same envelope with service anniversary cards and the sympathy card given after my grandma's funeral.
   I decided to get a paper to read about the famous people having birthdays today. I knew about a few of them from previous years. This included John Heard, from various movies including 'Big' and 'Home Alone'. Another would be Jenna Fischer, from the TV show 'The Office'. I did see part of the syndicated rerun of 'Big Bang Theory'. It was one where Sheldon asked his friends to fill out a questionnaire as he wanted more friends. Then he tried to make a friend in a bookshop, but it was a little girl and he was pulled away by Leonard. The first-run show had this in the storyline as well, as he was going to search online about 'getting 12-year-old girls excited' and he was stopped by Leonard again. It was due to being a guest speaker with Howard and Leonard at a school, trying to get more women interested in science. It was funnier when they made their women available, who decided to skip work and go to Disneyland. It was hard to take them seriously as Amy, Bernadette, and Penny were all in costumes like Snow White and Cinderella. Also funny was Raj having a 'Text message date' in the library of all places.  

Bus Driver's Rebuttal

   When I was on the bus this morning I heard the driver say 'I don't want to hear it' to the grouchy woman, as she was going to complain about the winter as usual. I liked hearing a rebuttal from the bus driver for a change. He spoke for many of us I'm sure.
   At the comedy club tonight I ordered some popcorn along with the beer, and the popcorn arrived rather quickly. I had to claim it when the server came around with it, as they were asking who ordered it. Thankfully nobody else was claiming it. One comic said they should play football with cats. But I would expect this would be harder to do, especially if the cat is the ball. The cat wouldn't stay in any one place for long.
   I was checking Facebook tonight and this included invites for upcoming events. I happened to see something on the page for Emerson Hough School stating that the unpopular superintendent is leaving for Creston. In the article, highlights were mentioned, as he had been there for 11 years. But I pointed out how no mention was made of the school closure as a highlight. This is likely due to some asking for his resignation because of it.
   It was likely my first time having a Chicago style hot dog tonight. I had two coupons to use up and this one was going to expire in a few days. I didn't eat the peppers and ate the pickle separately. Otherwise, it tasted just fine. But I am still more used to chili cheese dogs.  

Pelted With Snowballs

   No, I wasn't pelted with snowballs. But I did hear of somebody who was. After the comedy show was done, I went to speak with a friend who was show closer. There was an old man who wanted to compliment him. He wanted to see my coat, it of course was University of Iowa. He said 'a thousand years ago' he was part of the Minnesota Gopher marching band while they were in Iowa City. When they were announced, they were pelted with snowballs. I said it probably was before my time, and some sports rivalries get really stupid. Still don't know why he told me this story.
   When I was boarding the bus this morning I had somebody tap me and say I should do something about my shoestrings or I might break my neck. My winter shoes are constantly being re-tied, they just don't stay tied for long. I said I heard them and I would take care of it. They wouldn't shut up about it and I said I heard them again. The thing I've heard before is 'Just trying to help', but after I heard them the first time it was really up to me as to what I did about it. I do things when it's right for me, not when others keep pushing me to do so.
   I needed some time to clear off the snow from my car before I made it over to the comedy club tonight. It was the first time I had used my snow shovel in a while. The Paul Bunyan look-alike was doing a joke about being in Hollywood. He had somebody read the story with him, and it was a woman that was taller than him which made it funnier for me.
    I liked the 'Big Bang Theory' syndicated rerun tonight. Leonard is dating 'Dr. Stephanie' and whenever he is about to speak his mind, they have sex. He ends up wearing outfits he doesn't like, that she buys for him like a sweatshirt with a bird on it. 'Tonight Show' with Jay Leno was a rerun from November, but I liked seeing Jennifer Lawrence being interviewed about the movie 'Silver Linings Playbook'. One of my emails stated the writer convention is in August, and in Chicago. Thankfully there are no conflicts that I know of. I know it doesn't conflict with Canadian Days in Little Canada. It may mean that I get to use up the quarter left on my CTA farecard. But of course I would need to be elected a delegate like I was before.

Hawaiian Punch Fruit Juicy Red

    I had a late lunch at work and went to get a sandwich and drink from a convenience store. I got egg salad, and Hawaiian Punch fruit juicy red in the can. I dropped the can right before putting it on the counter to pay for the order, and was asked multiple times if I wanted  a replacement for the dented can. I said it was me who did it, and I'm fine with the dented can. Since it wasn't soda pop there was no concern of 'contents under pressure'. As expected, the can opened without any fireworks, no fizz. 
   Riding the bus home tonight there was a man that had a hard time finding a valid method of payment for the fare, the machine said his transfer had already expired. He wore a hoodie and a camouflage coat. I could understand what he was saying fairly well, though it was a grating voice and he was loud and didn't shut up. One man didn't like seeing him with a liquor bottle and some Tropicana juice, so when he got off the bus he called the bus company. The driver took the call right away and said the man 'wasn't bothering anyone aside from being loud'.
   I went to the comedy club tonight, and when the show was over I noticed it had snowed quite a bit. It was slow going getting home, but I found a way. Enjoyed hearing 'Island in the Sun' by Weezer on my car radio during this drive. I was more focused than tense, as I've done it before. I still liked basking in the 'I made it' feeling. Show closer was somebody I had worked with in the diner skits. He does the one about a nephew saying his fat belly wasn't a baby, but treats.  

My Favorite Aunt

    I went to see my favorite aunt today, first time in a while. It had probably not been since 2008, the year of my grandma's funeral and a family wedding. Enjoyed seeing her husband as well, who is big on Civil War history and once did plenty in Civil War reenactments. We were sent with some canned items, and some history magazines- Sons of the American Revolution. My cousin's lady friend was there, as was two dogs. Wanted to stay as long as I could but knew there was a long enough drive ahead of us back to the Twin Cities- from near Madison and Janesville, WI. It was efficient on the drive back, as after making a stop early on in Evansville we stopped just one more time, in Tomah. This of course is the home of Fort McCoy. We ate at a Subway sandwich shop, and got fuel.
   The morning started in Hartford at the Super 8 motel. Memorable was how the desk clerk asked if we were checking out, I said not yet as we wanted to go across the road to the McDonald's. I like their breakfast sandwiches. After this we packed up and checked out. The clerk was outside smoking and was fine with taking the key cards there. I said I prefer taking it inside to the front desk, to make it official. I think she just wanted to keep smoking. It was hard to tell for sure, but there were few if any other guests there. We saw just one other car in the lot, it had Florida plates on it. I knew it was definitely off-season.
  When checking email upon arrival back home there was mention of points being added to my Godfather's Pizza loyalty card. I haven't been there in a few weeks but I do want to return there soon.

Ella's Deli, Our American Cousin

   I made it to Ella's Deli in Madison, WI, for lunchtime. Really impressed by all I saw there, even two Simpson items. One was the Simpsons family, needed two pictures to get all of it in view. Another was just of Bart. We stayed in Madison a little while longer, as I wanted to see the Capitol and then Camp Randall. I had seen the markers for Camp Randall before, but my pictures were too dark and I wanted better ones.
    Then it was on to Hartford to see the play 'Our American Cousin', a play I had wanted to see for a while. It is still mainly known as the play being done when Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. This was depicted but the play continues after a brief pause. I was a big deal there, as I met the director saying 'I'm the yahoo from Minnesota'.  Then I was brought over to meet the cast. The play was well done, I said, as I like comedies and farces. Most memorable has to be the chalkboard wheeled through explaining the multiple meanings of words. A big gag in this play was this, misheard words, or puns. Well worth it to see the play, though we made it just minutes before it began. At the intermission I had some chocolate chip cookies, chips, and water. Also found some 'Uncrustables' that I ate before leaving the venue. Seeing this play I would have to consider to be a 'Bucket List' item. Also liked seeing showbills of previous plays done there. Many of these I have thankfully already seen. Some are commonly done ones like 'Oklahoma', 'Fiddler on The Roof', 'Hello Dolly', and 'Damn Yankees'. The last of these was covered up by the price list for the food and drink. Others I have seen in other forms- like 'Grease' as a movie. Would like to see 'Guys and Dolls', I think this has been parodied on the 'Simpsons' in some form or another. Got a picture of the showbill of the play I saw and even one of a copy of a famous painting, a self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. 

Is This Forward Enough?

    When I was riding the bus home tonight I had to keep moving for various reasons. Move out of the seat, and into the aisle. Move back, move forward. Then I ended up near the front of the bus and asked 'Is this forward enough?' Usually I am able to plop into a seat and not have to move until my stop. I was tired and didn't have much energy left, so it was harder to take.
  At midday I did get some pictures of the Macy's liquidation sale. One of them was of a rhino statue for $1,500. I think they are selling things they normally don't sell, like the area rugs and fur coats. I did pick up two items, a pair of socks and some Frango candies. The candies happened to be cake batter flavored, very rich tasting so it's a good thing I had just three. I like having a snack after lunch so it served the purpose.
   I met with my boss about not getting picked for a committee. I'm not sure what answers were offered other than I'm thankful I got a response to my message.  The senior leader will meet with me when he's back in the office next week. It's still hard to hide my frustration with repeated occasions of being snubbed. I said I didn't want to do anything like lie, cheat and steal to get ahead. I couldn't live with myself when doing things illegal or immoral. But it sounds like I may need to reframe it, that I have to become a better salesperson or politician. Selling myself can still be a tough thing for me. But I know full well I tend to do better when putting my best foot forward.
   I finally decided to order the Emerson Hough letters on E-bay, since it's at a discount that made it easier to handle. It should arrive in the next week or so.