Metrics Yes, Animosity No

     There was more than one meeting for me to attend at work today. The first was to say I wasn't picked for the special project I had just interviewed for. I was asked to have no animosity about it. I liked how my boss was willing to talk with me about his observations, though it is still tough to hear I was passed over. I said I hate interviews because I suck at them. I was told to take most every opportunity offered to be trained on processes and I would become a leader and probably would get picked next year. The other meeting was on our new metrics that take effect next week, in the new month. Some of it sounds confusing at the outset.
   I went to the comedy club tonight. My 'Bestie' was doing the 'Lost dog' joke. I like it but wanted to hear more than just this joke, which was long. After the show he was holding court and I even said so. He said he did want to do more than just this joke. The 'Extra murder' comic did the yule log joke and made comments about people leaving when he was taking the stage. I said 'I'm still here!' and got a shout out for it. The show closer was the one that likes to rant and do crowd rap. When he heard me say 'Yep' twice he asked who, when he found out it was me he said he couldn't rip on me. After the show I said this made me feel good. He said he is now a show runner at another club and offered me stage time whenever I wanted it- and called me 'Genuine', which I also liked as it's what I strive for.

It's Not Funny Anymore, James

    I liked watching 'Big Bang Theory' as usual tonight, 2 episodes. The syndicated rerun was when Leonard tried to impress Penny by learning football. Sheldon proved to know the sport since he is from Texas. The prime time episode had James Earl Jones as guest star. His character proved to be more annoying than Sheldon, as near the end of the episode we see Sheldon is bored with his stories- he doesn't know who Angie Dickinson is. The funniest scene had to be when James plays a prank on his 'Star Wars' co-star, Carrie Fisher. When he does 'Ding dong ditch' she comes out and says 'It's not funny anymore, James'. This is proof how the show is popular, as there are plenty of good guest stars. These guest stars also don't seem to mind playing characters on this show they normally don't play- many actors rarely play themselves.
    I was late for work this morning, by about 40 minutes. The buses were slow to arrive as there was a light out before our bus stop and there was a service vehicle blocking one lane as well. I wasn't as late as some colleagues were. My 'Work spouse' was 2 hours late. I liked how I have made up most of that time already, just by taking a shorter lunch, 30 minutes instead of a full hour. I had an interview for a special project this afternoon, I feel like I presented myself well. One interviewer was in the conference room with me, and the other was there remotely, on the phone. The thing I am telling colleagues is I need to have a short memory with job interviews and dating. I am not known for this, as I end up remembering things I wish I could forget. A short memory helps with trying again after numerous failures.

Home Use Catheter

    At the comedy club tonight, I spoke with one comic before the show saying I would expect comedian friends to read this blog just to find out if I am writing about them. This is somebody who recently did the home use catheter joke, and he did this joke tonight as well. He is also known for doing the 'LBJ and Fresca' joke.
   This is one night, more so than others, where I truly felt the value of comedy because of all of those I spoke with at this show along with what I discussed. Comedy gave me confidence to try harder in dating, I said so after the show. During the show when I needed to step out and blow my nose I said my comedy training helped me shut somebody down who was being a pest. This was when I spoke with a colleague at the office. I had lunch with this colleague and confidant today and was told it led to an attitude adjustment on the part of her neighbor. This made me feel good as it proves I have gained plenty from the craft- knowing how to handle people. I didn't enjoy having to shut somebody down but I like knowing I am good enough at it when I need to be.
    My 'Bestie' did his 'Lost dog' joke. There was another joke he did near the end that seemed to be new- derived from his relationship- how he went about insulting his woman. When he left the stage I said yes that means I already like it. Usually I say I need to hear a joke a few times before I truly like it.  The sub teacher did his 'Have her friend and eat it too' joke. The show runner did the 'For sale by owner' joke. The show closer was the Oklahoma native, who did his pronunciation of gyro joke. We matched wits before the show, I like knowing I can match wits with the best of them. The 'Extra murder' comic did the joke about his grade school teacher mispronouncing 'Washington'.
   I liked discussing the blog with the show runner after the show, who said she was interested in activities done at my office. Using chairs in games must have been our version of the Olympics, though what I thought of at first was our smaller version of the St. Patrick's Day parade. I like our 'Cubbyhole' of a rec-room where I shoot baskets like at a bar. I haven't done the Ping-Pong in the same room yet, but I did the Wii dancing today. Some of the songs we danced to included 'Rasputin' and 'Monster Mash'- I liked hearing the latter even though it isn't Halloween. Even though I like walking as exercise, I know dancing is good exercise as well.
   I liked lunching with my colleague today. I said I preferred discussing subjects besides my dating life, as it had been covered quite a bit already recently and there was nothing new or positive to report. It was about things like how she is going to travel to Mexico soon, apparently a friend's wedding will be there. And about what it is like when I do comedy, I said I like how the stage lights are bright as I stay more focused when its harder to see the crowd. It led to mention of the movie '4 weddings and a funeral'- and how I haven't seen it yet. I said what got me into comedy was a weird year of 2 funerals and a wedding. I found the Wikipedia article about the movie, after reading it I am interested in finding the movie but it likely means checking for it at the library. A deaf man stopping a wedding and a groom getting punched at the altar was what piqued my interest.

Plenty Of Fish

    I spoke about internet dating with a colleague at midday and she said she met her partner on Plenty of Fish. I said I had been on that site a while back but no luck finding anyone worth dating there. I like how I feel more free to talk about myself with this colleague than others I've known for much longer, as I think she was a new hire in just the past year. There are others that I talk to much less as I was getting annoyed with their unsolicited advice about my relationship. This is the same colleague where I found Wikipedia articles for as she hadn't heard of TV show producer Norman Lear. She has art at her cube that says 'Don't ever give up'. It depicts a frog choking a bird, and the bird is trying to eat the frog.
   At the comedy club tonight, a show runner from another club was performing. When I arrived she said I could sit at her table, and her husband the cop was also there. She added to the joke about being diagnosed by a relative who failed nursing school, apparently it has been more than just lupus. I also liked the one about JV basketball and JV landscaping. I did see the show runner at the bar on my way in, the Iowa Hawkeye basketball game was on. They led Michigan State at the time but lost in overtime. After the show I went to a convenience store and got a small can of Pringles, along with a postcard of the Metrodome that said 'Thanks for the memories, 1982-2014'.
   It was a busy day at work as I was covering for a colleague, my 'Work spouse'. The special requests proved to be high volume, and it was hard to keep up with the SIF/PIF letters as well.  (Settled or Paid in Full letters)

Hash Tag Comic

   To the best of my knowledge, we just had out first 'Hash tag comic' at the comedy club tonight. I found out later on it was a stage name for somebody I already knew. He did a joke about Tinder, an internet dating site I haven't seen yet. I have a cold and had to blow my nose more than once at the club, the second time was during the show. I did hear the 'Mushrooms at the movie theater' joke and the 'Bathtub comic' was the show closer. He did a joke about the cold Minnesota weather, since it's subzero here again. One comic from out of town, New York City, was pretty good. They said he would be performing at the club later this week. He had some good jokes about internet dating that I agreed with, so of course I said 'Yep!' instead of laughing.
    At work there was a communication breakdown near the end of the day. I understood I was taking over the SIF/PIF letters, though a colleague was doing some of them for me and didn't tell me. I found out when I was about to close those cases as I had completed those letters. For much of my day I know full well I was preoccupied with other issues- emotional ones. I found out the flowers and letter I sent over the weekend both arrived, it was a bold move for me to send them, definitely rare. I wanted to say 'Thank you' and 'Sorry' at the same time. I am hopeful to hear from the recipient but I haven't yet. What made it bold was how I had already been turned down, but I asked that my candidacy be reconsidered. Lack of trying sure is less of a problem for me in my life than it was, I know it is likely due to doing comedy as it gave me plenty of confidence.

JC Penney, Chili's

     This evening I decided to go to Maplewood to use some of my gift cards. First I went to the mall and I got there after 6pm, so fewer entrances were open as they were closing at 7pm. But I liked finding two pairs of pants at JC Penney that took care of all of the gift card balance. Then it was on to Chili's across the road. I had hoped to get back to my car through the mall, but it was not to be. The door leading back in was locked, so I made the walk over to the restaurant and it was a cold one with blowing snow. It was a good meal, I had salmon and rice with broccoli, it was on the low calorie part of the menu. I had cheesecake and this took care of the balance. So I now have two cards for Kohl's, one for Red Lobster, one for Applebee's, and one for Jiffy Lube. It was nice to hear a compliment from another patron as I was leaving, I was told I looked like their relative who is an electrician.
   I made it into downtown St. Paul as well twice this afternoon, first was for the Winter Carnival. I looked at the exhibits inside the Landmark Center, after finding food in Rice Park- a chili dog and hot chocolate. Then after getting warmed up inside, I went back out to see the ice sculptures, which included two dinosaurs. While I was looking at the exhibits inside, I had to pause and sit down to listen to a song I recognized. It was 'Umbrella' by Rihanna. I kept hearing the constant hi-hat and knew it was that song. Some of the lyrics really resonated with me, like 'Said I'd always be your friend, took an oath and I'll stick it out until the end'.
   I went back into downtown a little later and went to the fitness center. I am thankful I allowed myself more time than before due to arriving earlier, as I had 20 minutes on the pedaling machines this time. I didn't see my colleague though, I was alone in the place.
   After I got back from Maplewood, I called my dad while the Grammy Awards were on. We spoke about various subjects, one of those being Hawkeye basketball. Another one was the winter weather, and apparently it hasn't been much better down in southern Iowa where he is.

Johnny Carson, American Masters

     I watched public TV for the first time in a while tonight. I was pleased to find, at first, Antiques Road Show. They profiled a Babe Ruth membership club card, along with an artifact from the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. The next program pleased me even more. It was 'American Masters', and the biography was of  'Tonight Show' host Johnny Carson. One of the reasons I kept watching it was knowing they likely would have comments from Bob Newhart, and they did. This was an honest biography, covering all four of his marriages. I had one question answered due to one of his gigs before 'Tonight Show'. He was a game show host, it was called 'Who do you trust?' and it made me think of the 'Batman' movie from 1989 where Jack Nicholson as The Joker asked this question when he was about to dump $20 million on Gotham City. It was a ruse to kill 'The little people'.
   I attended two events in the afternoon. The first was a fundraiser for Dance Marathon at the University of Iowa, and of course I heard about it through the Alumni Association. It was held at the Loop bar in Minneapolis, during a game watch of the Iowa Hawkeye basketball game played at Northwestern. Iowa won big. I wanted to move on fairly quickly after the game ended, to get to the Twins Fan-fest a few blocks away. It was a quick tour, just under two hours, as that was all I had paid for when I parked at a meter. I noticed there were two portable toilets, in Iowa they are called 'Kybos', while walking over there. I was in need of one so I used it. I think those are available there was it was a staging area for the Mega-bus.
    I just finished watching a rerun of 'CSI Miami' and I liked hearing a Johnny Cash song at the end, appropriate to the scene as it was at a military funeral. The song had lyrics about 'It's like a soldier getting over the war'. I like Johnny Cash songs, and found it on Youtube. It was called 'Like a Soldier'. I ended up finding another song with a similar title by Eminem, called 'Like Toy Soldiers'. I like how Eminem is so honest in his music, and it is about a rap rivalry.  

Jesse Ventura, Science Museum

     I was out of the office today for a mentoring event. We went to the Science Museum in downtown St. Paul. It had been a while since I had seen it. Notable things there to me included seeing a Jesse Ventura double picture there. When upside down both were the same, when moved up then one of them was distorted. I also liked taking home a postcard from the harmono-graph, the pendulums and weights drew the pen-mark pattern on it. I also liked going to the gift shop and getting two note cards, one was of the Landmark Center and the other of ice sculptures near the Ordway theater. The third item, a postcard, was artwork of the city's skyline. It reminds me of the artwork at the comedy club inside Mall of America, likely the same artist. The first event we did was see a movie at the Omni-theater, it was from 1990 and called 'Blue Planet'. Seeing the copyright date in roman numerals at the end explained why two natural disasters from 1989 were mentioned in it: Hurricane Hugo, along with the World Series earthquake in San Francisco. I ended up seeing somebody I know from riding the bus to work. This woman works at the museum, looked like in foodservice as she spotted me near one of the dining areas.
    After the event was done I got on the bus for home, then I was on my way again. It was to the library to get a letter typed. I had to reroute to a different library than planned as there was a traffic backup. It took me a while to get home as it was snowing when I got out of the library, and continued for a few hours.
     I made it to the comedy club tonight, my 'Bestie' did the 'Lost Dog' joke. A member of a rap and comedy act told the story about his pregnant lady friend's ultrasound.

Buddy Bars, Dollar Store

   I went to an event at The Loft in Minneapolis after work tonight. When I was taking light rail back to the airport I saw a plastic shopping bag near my seat. It had an empty box of Buddy Bars in it along with bottles of Cherry Coke and Dr. Pepper. I kept just one thing, which was three pennies. I tied up the bag and threw it in in the trash when I got to the airport.
   It was nice doing the member happy hour. At first I just wanted to finish my food before I moved around more and talk to people. I liked hearing somebody speak about his life, saying he is on disability but not legally blind despite having one of those red-tipped canes folded up in his bag. He said he did computer software design before going on disability. Then I happened to find somebody I knew from the other writer's organization I belong to. I hadn't seen her in a while so we had some catching up to do. I found out she was a language arts teacher before she started writing full-time. I learn more when I listen more, and I listened plenty tonight. After the happy hour we went into the auditorium and did a writing exercise before we saw presentations from writers. I liked what we did, getting out pen and paper and first writing down how we felt today. Then it was on to places we liked visiting or would like to visit. Then the final one was to find things from both to write about. I wrote down how I was anxious and nervous for a while, and liked visiting Chicago-land.
   When I got home I watched a syndicated rerun of 'Big Bang Theory'. It was one I had seen before, how the gang was on their way to a comic book convention and their car was stolen when they were doing a picture of themselves in 'Star Trek' outfits. When they get home their women are arguing about comic books as they bought one, wanting to understand their men better as to why they like those kinds of books. I also called a college roommate, first time in a few months. We are still trying to figure out when our schedules match up, but we're both kind of busy.

Sk8er Boi, Avril Lavigne

     I recall seeing Avril Lavigne in concert in Moline, Illinois, in 2005. I have one of her CDs and it includes the song 'Sk8er Boi'. I think it strikes a chord with many since it deals with rejection being a catalyst for proving somebody wrong. I know this is true about my own life, as I tell myself I have to keep trying despite being turned down for opportunities at work, or for my social life as well. I can have a hard time getting over being turned down, but what I've said is once I am picked I can let go of it for the most part. Some of the lyrics I underlined were 'Looks up at the man that she turned down' and 'To show pretty face what he's worth'.
    In particular, this meant applying for an exclusive special project that I knew I couldn't get before. My previous boss wouldn't give me good enough performance evaluations due to a personality conflict. I spoke with who was picked last year and I liked hearing about it. She said there is also a chance to meet more people in the program at Stamford, CT, but it means getting picked after making a presentation and another candidate in our office was picked at the end of the program. The eligibility period had just expired but was extended, my guess is few if anyone had applied from my department. I found the application form in the email we were sent this week and got it ready for my boss to sign off on. I handwrote it three times before I found one I liked, as my handwriting can be sloppy when I am in a rush. But my boss said he could read it fine. I guess it doesn't matter what some of them look like as long as the best one is the one that I submit.
   At the comedy club tonight, I liked hearing the show runner doing a 'What she likes about winter' joke. It means not having to see neighbors- it works as it's relatable. Somebody called me 'Laconic' and said it sounded better than 'Dour' before the show. 'Dour' is a term that I have embraced. I looked up laconic and compared, but I don't see myself as succinct so I still have to go with dour.  

Gas Station Hot Dog

      Before I went to the comedy club tonight, I picked up a book I had ordered. When I was paying for it I wanted to look at the index right away, and confirmed there was mention of the 1933 World's Fair in this book about Soldier Field. While waiting to get the book I heard some music and had to ask if anyone knew what the song was. I was told it was from the Billy Joel and Norah Jones CD.
    A notable from the comedy show was the show closer, who did jokes about hot dogs, saying gas station hot dogs were at the bottom of the list. The Yemen native did one about getting attention for saying 'Allah' at the airport. The neck tattoo comic did one about a baby in a sling won't stop many bullets. I briefly spoke with the show runner after the show, and he said he would be going to Iowa soon for gigs. As usual, I liked hearing his knowledge of music, tonight I heard plenty about Motown acts like The Temptations.
   I liked how 3 E-bay orders arrived. Two were World's Fair postcards, the third was a 'Good Will Hunting' movie card. The card was much like the one I already had for 'Covered Wagon' since it is made by the same company, a French card.

Camp David In Maryland

     I had the day off from work due to the holiday so I watched quiz shows like 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' and 'Jeopardy'. The 'Final Jeopardy' clue was one I didn't know and it stumped all three contestants, the answer was Camp David. It was about something that started in Maryland in the 1930s as a way of claiming the mountains. In one of my favorite movies, 'Rain Man', there is a clip from the game show 'Sale of the Century' where one of the questions was about Camp David. It was in reference to the name origin, and it was named after a relative of President Eisenhower. Other places I made it to were McDonald's, to return the movie, and to get copies at Fed-ex Office. I did say hi to who I know there, and how I was unsuccessful for whatever reason on sending a Facebook friend request to his comedian friend in California. I said I would try again today since I still have the business card and I did, so I will wait to hear more about the friend request. Also got my car worked on, needed to replace a headlight that had burned out.
   I made it to the comedy club tonight, the 'Extra murder' comic was near the end of the show and did do the 'Nike jump rope' as well as 'First world problem' jokes. The show closer was somebody I didn't know, but was introduced as somebody who was originally from the area. He had a joke about having a plane ride in first class with actress Liv Tyler, who recognized a smell as cookies. The 'Bathtub comic' did one about his day job at a bookstore, and how he would get a pin soon for 15 years of service.

Clean Guys Of Comedy Movie

     I just used my Redbox code for a free movie, and chose 'Clean Guys of Comedy' live from Denver. I had picked up a postcard about it, likely at one of the comedy clubs I frequent but can't recall which one. There were 5 comedians in the lineup, I had heard of two of them, Jamie Kennedy from the 'Scream' movies and Dave Coulier from 'Full House', who also served as the show's announcer. The first comic, Andy Hendrickson, was my favorite, likely since he did relatable jokes like working in an office, and sibling rivalry. The other two comics were Ralph Harris and Heather McDonald.
   I did various things today, starting with getting laundry done and seeing a comedian friend when I went out to my car. This has happened before, and I like this feeling of knowing people when I am out and about.
    When I got home from doing laundry, just before midday, I listened to the Iowa/Minnesota basketball game from Iowa City on the radio. Iowa trailed at halftime but went on to win 94-73. I watched some of the pro football playoff games as well, Denver beat New England in the first game and Seattle beat San Francisco in the second.
   I also decided to clean out my internet dating profile a little, closing matches that had reached email stage where I hadn't heard anything in over a week. Or in the case of one, a psychology resident, somebody who said they wanted to exchange phone numbers since the free communication period was ending and didn't want to pay for membership. But I was annoyed at how this match gave brief responses even though I gave extensive answers to their questions. With another, a physician, it was admitted how responses were slow as no connection was felt. I was crushed as I was excited about trying to get a date scheduled soon with the physician. All of this was why I really wanted the relationship that ended in August to work out. I just hate first dates and there has been such a low response rate, even on E-harmony which is supposed to be the best site out there. It was what I remembered from before, where I end up meeting less than one percent of the matches, and most of those I meet are 'One and done' sadly. My December activity report said I communicated with 182 matches, though I had just one date that month. So my track record is basically still no different than before.

Heart Of Gold, Neil Young

     Today was about getting plenty of errand running and chores done. This did include some fun things though, like going to Dairy Queen and using my 2-for-1 Blizzard coupon. While I was there eating one of them I heard the song 'Heart of Gold' by Neil Young. I liked how I recognized it rather quickly, but usually I do. I had to listen to it again when I got home, and found it on Youtube. I really like the harmonica interludes in it, probably since I have a harmonica myself. And I like the overall theme of looking for a heart of gold, as in many ways we are all looking for this. I know Neil Young as somebody who 'Sponsored' the band Pearl Jam, one of my favorite bands, so there's another reason to like his music.
     Another patron eventually heard it as well. I said I might get confused with the 'Rain Man' as there was the scene in the movie where he was able to guess songs, as to where they were on the jukebox. This visit was no different, I eat one of the Blizzards there and get a cover for the other so I can take it home and eat it the next day.
   One of my stops was to Walgreen for sheet protectors. This was fairly necessary since the order from the Postal Service recently arrived and there were some first day covers in it. I wanted to preserve some online articles as well, and it meant getting another item about the St. Paul Saints baseball stadium into the binder. I am thankful I have kept whatever I can find about this stadium in Lower-town that is currently under construction. Some of it is probably considered to be propaganda from the team itself, but others would be from the stadium's official website giving updates about it.
   I just watched 'Storm Stories' on WCCO and the featured story was about the tornado at the scout camp in western Iowa in June 2008. I do recall this story as it received mention at the College World Series in Omaha, which is nearby and was later that month. This was during the time when I went to the opener of this event for six straight years, from 2005-2010. It would be nice to go back this year, but it is too soon to think about it when it is still months away. I liked watching the 6pm news as well, since there was a feature about the 80th anniversary of the Ma Barker gang kidnapping of the Schmidt Beer heir in 1934. It did go through what St. Paul was like during that era, how it was a haven for gangsters on the run. The way it was described  was 'We don't care what you do as long as you do it outside St. Paul'. I had seen a play at the History Theater about this gang. At the time I mainly heard about their first high-profile kidnapping, of the Hamm's Beer heir. There was also mention of the Prohibition era exhibit currently at the Minnesota History Center, it is there through March so I still have time to get there.
    I like how I accomplished plenty today, as it means there's not much left on my list for the next day. I have laundry to do, and this can be done early, before midday. Then I could watch much of the football playoff games, the first one is mid-afternoon. Getting back to the fitness center would be a good idea.

Gophers Vs. Buckeyes Hockey

     I went to the Gopher hockey doubleheader at TCF Stadium tonight. I only saw the second game, the men's game, the Gophers vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes. I arrived at my seat near the end of the first period, no score. Minnesota scored early in the second, and it held up as the final was 1-0. In the women's game the Gophers beat Mankato 4-0. I needed to go to the copy store to print my ticket, and then go to Target and get winter boots so I would be comfortable throughout. Though I was still a little shaky near the end, as it was cold. I parked across the river and then took the footbridge over to the university campus. I did see some searchlights once I got closer to the venue. I hated seeing a bucket of popcorn go to waste. I was a little hungry despite eating at Super-America in advance, so I ate the rest of the popcorn. It was less than half of the plastic bucket, so not all that much. Before I reached my seat I went into the bathroom and put on sweatpants to keep my legs warm. I eventually found somebody selling a program as well.
   The order from the Postal Service arrived with mostly first-day covers, I liked how it didn't take long, just a week. One of the E-bay orders arrived as well, a World's Fair postcard.

Labor Day Movie

   Tonight I went to an advance screening of the movie 'Labor Day' in St. Louis Park. It was an event sponsored by The Loft in Minneapolis, where I am a member as I have taken writing classes there. In many ways the movie was both what I expected and didn't expect. It's about an escaped convict that gets a ride from a woman and her son while they were out shopping. The name is derived from it happening on Labor Day weekend. I like movies directed by Jason Reitman, so I definitely wanted to see it. Plenty of notable actors were in it, though I don't know Josh Brolin that well. But others were familiar like James Vanderbeek and Tobey Maguire. I had heard of Kate Winslet but not sure if I had seen any of her roles before. I like cars so I noticed the cars in it a lot, like how the mom drove a Ford Country Squire station wagon. Early on I said 'You put it in neutral' and then the son puts it in reverse for her.
   After the movie was done there was 'Q and A' with the book writer, Joyce Maynard. I went to the bathroom real quick once the credits started rolling, so I didn't miss much. All audience members got a copy of the book, and I stood in line for a while to get it signed by the author. I liked the dedication in it saying 'Write fearlessly' as it reminds me of a story I heard from the theater guy, a former colleague. He said a friend of his had tattoos on her feet saying 'No fear, no doubt'.
   Is this a benchmark event in my life? Hard to say, few events are. But it is rare to go to an advance screening, and get a free book along with a free movie. It will be memorable for me as I met someone at this event. I said I was impressed by sitting near the front, I was in the second row. Then he asked me if I was impressed by what he was doing, it was a hand gesture but I can't recall what it was of. I said I do comedy, so we spoke about this for a while before the movie began. He spoke of Red Skelton, but I had to say I wasn't too familiar with him. I am thankful I made it when I did to the venue, about 15 minutes before curtain as there was just two seats to choose from at that time. I said to myself 'I'm in!' as that is the most important thing. I spoke with this man about various subjects while waiting in line after the movie to have my book signed. Some about friendships, some about movies and TV. He spoke of a made for TV movie that Steve Guttenberg was in, 'Joey' was part of the title. We did speak some about 'Big Bang Theory', in some ways it was appropriate for me as I thought of how that show is what I normally do on this night of the week. I know he said most of his family had moved away or had passed away. We all have a story to tell, and I liked hearing him tell his story.

Falling Icicles

     I went to the comedy club tonight, and after the show I decided to knock down a few icicles. This backfired a little as I couldn't get out of the way when they fell. It was a good show as usual. The 'Neck tattoo' comic did a joke about having a GED and neck tattoo. I noticed he had some of his jokes laminated before the show. I am still trying to remember to bring my camera to get more comedian friends in the ring of honor. The show runner did a joke I liked about sock puppets, how they really have impact in marital relations when buttons are sewn on. The 'Fancy comic' appeared again, much like last night. We briefly spoke before he went onstage, I was asked how long I had been doing comedy, more than 5 years now. As usual it is fun to see him perform, as he is the best looking man in comedy.
     I placed a few more E-bay orders today, and two orders arrived. One of them was 'Covered Wagon' sheet music, with 'Oh Susanna'. It is nice to have this one as well. The one I already had is 'Covered Wagon Days', which says it is dedicated to the movie based on the Emerson Hough book. The one that just arrived has a song that was in the movie. I still need to contact somebody so I can hear what they sound like, but a music teacher at a school should know how to play piano. The other item was a postcard of The Covered Wagon restaurant in St. Paul. It goes well with the one I already had from their Chicago location.
   My work spouse was not in today, but it was no big deal to see that all duties were covered. Most of them were taken on by a colleague, and I did the drawer lockup at the end of the day since I am there later than most.

George Kurowski

     I did get a good look at the book I ordered that just arrived this week. This was 'For the love of the Cardinals'. I had heard of most of the players mentioned in it, except one. For T, third base, I hadn't heard of George 'Whitey' Kurowski, who played third during their pennant runs in the 1940s. The illustrations in it are good. Hard to say when I might order from this site again, the St. Louis paper. There's likely a few more items there that I will like. The ornaments are cool as well, I added them to my little tree already. There is a mirror on one side of the ornaments. One is from Game One of the 2011 World Series, the other from winning the National League title that same year.
   Before I went to the comedy club, I did order another book, about Soldier Field in Chicago. I am hopeful to be able to pick it up next week. I found three books about this venue online, I chose the one that had the most pages- over three hundred- and was published most recently- in 2009. I trust there is something in it about the 1933 World's Fair. I read the preview on Amazon, and the table of contents did mention something about the 1959 Pan Am Games.
   At work I stayed busy as I did 13 SIF/PIF letters in the afternoon. Usually afternoons are not busy, after submitting the payoff report. At the comedy club I liked hearing the 'Tipping the waitress' joke from a comic who says he is originally from Fargo but now lives in Florida. Also liked hearing one about being like bus fare from the one who does the 'High at the movie theater' joke.  

Working In A Discotheque

     When I arrived at work this morning I was greeted by both lights above my workspace blinking. I said 'Great, I'm working in a discotheque'. I am thankful that my boss called maintenance right away, and those lights were taken down about 20 minutes later. Then others were installed after the electrician showed up rather quickly, before midday.
   Though this wasn't my only problem today. The long walk last night may have aggravated my injury from falling on the ice. It was a real chore to stand up and sit down. My work spouse said there should be remedies in the first aid kits in the break room, but the aspirin didn't work. I went to Walgreen after being at the comedy club tonight and got generic versions of Tylenol and Aleve.
   It was great being onstage at the comedy club tonight. I did do one joke about falling on the ice, how my tailbone hurts due to it. And I did one about flimsy excuses I get when dates cancel out on me. The 'Bathtub comic' did one about somebody being attacked by 3 coyotes wile walking to work at 5am. The 'Extra murder' comic did one about crime in Chicago, as he just had a show there. He also tried to do one about bathroom attendants but messed it up, and was filming his set. Some of my friends were interested in a crowd member who was ejected, apparently he stayed in the building  and banged his head on the glass after he was locked out. Then was picked up by the police after he passed out. Even a crowd member, an attractive woman wearing a tight fitting skirt, inquired about it. 

Time Of My Life, David Cook

     I tackled some more cleanup today. I looked at notes on the back of an online article I printed to help with visiting the Carolinas in April 2010. When one said 'More songs' I knew I had to look at them closely, as it was meant to be a song I wanted to remember. I wrote live it out loud, face in the crowd, this is the time of my life. I found out it was 'Time of my life' by David Cook. The Wikipedia article said he was an American Idol winner in 2008. With the other song I wrote down somebody else's success is painful. I found out it was 'Say Something' by Timbaland and Drake. I like how a movie, Talented Mr. Ripley, was referenced. Also liked a lyric about being addicted to this life, hard to quit, as it does describes how I feel about comedy.
     I did venture out in the afternoon to see what was at a sale. It was the Sid Hartman sale, a local sports journalist, in St. Louis Park. The one thing I bought wasn't from it. I got a book about stamp collecting, called 'Postmark Paris' by Leslie Jonath. The book writer collected stamps while living in France for one year at age ten. I also wanted to get a Charles Lindbergh book but was told they only allowed debit card use if at least $30. All I had on me was $2. I had to leave for a short time as I needed to go to the bathroom, and there wasn't one onsite. I correctly guessed there was a bowling alley just north of there, and I relieved myself at the bowling alley.
   I didn't watch much of the football playoff games today. San Francisco beat Carolina in the first and Denver beat San Diego in the second. I watched the first half of the Iowa basketball game at Ohio State, then went to the sale. I caught the end of the first football game on my car radio as I was returning from the sale, since I was listening to 'Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me' on public radio first. With the second game I decided to put in a movie I just bought at Blockbuster, 'General Education'. I saw much more of the second half than the first. After watching 'The Simpsons' - where apparently Comic Book Guy got married to a Japanese woman- I took a walk around the neighborhood. I ended up with 8 pull tabs from beverage cans.     

Blockbuster Video, Final Visit

     Since the Blockbuster Video liquidation sale began in November, I had been making a weekly visit to the West St. Paul location. I was there again today, and it is likely the final visit- since Sunday is the final day of it. I had to look around for a while before I found two videos though, as there's not much left. I chose 'No Impact Man', a documentary, and 'General Education', a comedy. Janeane Garofalo is in 'General Education'. At first I was going to get just two bags of microwave popcorn, but when the manager said they were a quarter apiece I decided to get four. A sign on the front door said 'Cash only' so I went to an ATM before I went in. All told, the items I bought were just under three dollars. After this I went to a Walgreen to get a few items, including plastic sheet protectors as I just finished another page in stamp collecting. I found a Charlie Brown and Snoopy item as well, Snoopy on his doghouse- a 'Countdown to Christmas' ornament. It was discounted since it is now out of season. Nearby was a Pizza Hut, when I looked at the menu from the outside I saw no personal pan pizzas. But when I inquired inside I was told they were available. So I got one, a mushroom and pepperoni. For soft drinks there was a vending machine, accepting coins only- no dollar bills. So I needed to ask for change in order to use it. I had to wait a few minutes on the pizza, but they had benches inside so I waited there.
   When I got home I did watch some of the football playoff game. It was the second game, New England beat Indianapolis. I heard a little of the first game on the radio, Seattle beat new Orleans. I went through a box I hadn't looked at in a while. After moving some items and shredding others, I looked in a file cabinet and found an envelope with the orders I had placed with the History Book Club. as expected, There hadn't been one in a while- not since 2010. I had saved some pages from their catalogs describing certain books, but decided to downsize it some more. The envelope itself will be disposed of as it was torn, even after trying to keep it together with masking tape. I had really crammed it full so this didn't surprise me much. In many cases I just liked reading the article about the book, likely since it is free and I already have plenty of books.
   I did have a date, an early lunch at an Applebee's. I arrived late and said to my date that I fell when I went to get into my car, and I had made a wrong turn as well. We spoke for a while, even after our food was finished, so I would like to think this is a good sign. But I've learned this doesn't mean everything. After the date I went to print some things at the library and then went home, where I rested for a little while until I went out to Blockbuster.  

Orders- Book, Checks, Stamps

     I was running out of checks so I decided to place an order for a box today. Thankfully I don't have to order them often, less than once a year. So I decided it was a good day to get other orders placed. This included a book about the St. Louis Cardinals that I found on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch store website. I didn't have any Cardinal Christmas ornaments- that I know of- so I included a set of two in the order. Then there was the Postal Service order. I had meant to place one in November but there was a problem remembering my password so I was locked out. It didn't reach the top of my priority list for a while. I had to keep guessing before I found the right answer to the security question, then I was able to place the order. It was three first day covers, a 'Keepsake' with first day covers from the baseball player series from 2012, and a ceremony program from the 20th century poets series.
   I made it to the comedy club tonight and I was onstage, early on. Somebody said 'Party foul' during my set, when a beer class broke. And they said the same when a second glass broke, much later in the show. I liked trying out some new jokes, like the one about the microwave oven in the break room from this week. I got shout-outs as well, which I like a lot. Some of them were from the Mason City native, who followed me in the lineup. After the show he was outside holding court and I listened to him talk about music for a while as he is really knowledgeable about it.
   At work I did more training for settled in full, as well as paid in full, letters to be generated and sent out. There were five, and four were finished in time to go out in the final mail run of the day. But I had to re-print some of them as I didn't enter the amounts on them the first time around. The most important thing is checking it and correcting it 'Before it leaves the factory'- and I did.

Shrink Wrapped Shirt

      I went through the drawers at the office and noticed I still had a shrink wrapped shirt there. I said it won't get used unless it is taken home, so that's what I did today. It was marking the 80th anniversary of the business. I was given these before but they just looked too nice in the shrink wrap. So what I eventually did was give most of them away. One was given to somebody I no longer date.
  Speaking of dating, one of the emails I got today was from Facebook. It asked if I knew somebody. My guess was that I did, it was my first date from E-harmony. This was somebody who gave up on me after three dates. Talk about rubbing salt in the wounds! Especially when it looks like they're married now.
   I did see two 'Big Bang Theory' episodes tonight. The syndicated rerun was when Penny was short of money and Sheldon lent some of his, and it led to Leonard trying to intervene with the ex but it backfired. The prime time episode had Penny quitting at the Cheesecake Factory to pursue acting full time. Amy got out of a date she didn't want to go on by having Raj and Howard go in her place- to a rock show since a geologist was interested in her.

Meet Up Group

      I went to the comedy club tonight and there was a big crowd on hand as a 'Meet up' group was there. My 'Bestie' was performing and is still adding to the 'Lost dog' joke. The show runner did the joke about arguing as to what a donkey punch was. The show closer wouldn't do the Tetris joke even though I asked for it during crowd rap. He did say sorry after he left the stage and I said I still liked the shout-out, which was true.
   I heard from a good friend of mine on Linked In, who I often call 'My Ohio friend', she is now a journalist in Florida. She offered some moral support for trying to date again, saying she had many suitors before she met her beau. I am still getting some activity from internet dating but it can be hard to schedule dates. I am doing my best to get through it all with patience, but historically that hasn't been a strong point for me.
   Another E-bay order arrived, the Maytag Old Lonely card. It has Jesse White as the repairman, asleep in his office.
   It was hard to complete all of my work today when there was three meetings, which is not typical. The third was WII dancing, since it is once a week I wasn't about to give it up. We had four there, more than typical. Many times it is just two- me and the event coordinator. We still did dancing even though we tried to do Olympic sports at first. One of the songs we danced to was 'Party rocking' by LMFAO, memorable for the reference to Led Zeppelin in it.  

Mints In Cup Near Door

      I did a long walk in the skyway at midday and saw a cup full of mints near a door. I decided to claim one and the wrapper said 'We love our residents'. There was a management office for apartments nearby. It was a part of the skyway that I don't see very often. I stayed inside as I was unsure how cold it still was outside, though the news said the wind chill advisory was set to expire by then.
    Tonight I made it to the comedy club. It was the first time I had been out with my car since Saturday, so it had been 3 days. Thankful that it started, though it was a little contrary. In some ways I may be addicted to the drama, in terms of thinking of what would happen if the car hadn't started. Or, even before that, wondering what the odds would be on it starting. Why- since the oil change place said there wasn't enough cold cranking amps in my battery at the last two oil changes? The gauge said it was in the normal range, and has been there consistently for a while.
   My 'Bestie' was the show closer. He did the 'Chivalry is dead' joke, and I said I liked the voice change for effect in this joke. He also did the 'Lost dog' joke, and has been adding to it. I did speak  about my blog, and I gave my business card so he knows where to find it. I spoke with the show runner after the show, he talked some about college basketball. As a fellow Iowan he spoke mainly about some of the college basketball there. The MC did the joke about 'ODD' and the most common cause is bad parents. I laughed really hard at this one as usual. I did get some shout-outs, which makes me feel good of course. I know this comic may have brought out this joke, knowing I like it. Her name is the same as a capitol city, and since I know capitols well it is memorable to me.  

Japanese Knotweed

       I stayed home from the comedy club tonight due to the cold weather, and I decided to read some more from back issues of the paper. I read the month of July tonight. This included the funny columnist, one of his columns was about Japanese knotweed, the latest invader of our fair state. We can say it's bamboo and paint the bears white with black accents, and presto- pandas. Everyone likes pandas, tourists will come. Earlier columns were about a MNDOT app promising happy trails for all drivers. It would have traffic updates on roads you're not on. Then there was one man's quest to make summer last. It was about back-to-school supply sales already happening.
    I read 6 papers for this month. Three were from Minneapolis, two from St. Paul, and one from St. Louis as it was the month of my annual visit for Cardinal baseball games. Egypt's old guard returns, cracks down. Liberty island, home of the Statue of Liberty, re-opens on a most fitting date, the 4th of July. It was the first time since Hurricane Sandy. There was an article about the movie '20 Feet from Stardom', a documentary about back-up singers. This was a movie I saw at theaters. The St. Paul paper had 'Stop, think, write'. It was about the 'Before I die' chalkboard downtown in the skyway. The streetcar arch at the state fair returns. The Minnesota Orchestra management and musicians have had behind the scenes talks with a mediator. It is one of the longest labor battles ever for a US orchestra, at nearly a year.
   Back to the St. Paul paper. Crews prepare to raze a building standing in the way of the new Lower- town ballpark. This is an event that I attended. The TV show 'Elementary' brings stateside Sherlock to London. Filming for the season premiere was at Paddington train station and Trafalgar Square. I know I did see the train station when I was in London in 2012. The once-mighty city of Detroit files for bankruptcy.
  On to the St. Louis paper. There was an article about sculptures at the Gen America building downtown, a place I took pictures of as I found an article stating some scenes from the movie 'Up in the air' were filmed there. There is a Post-Dispatch store, with plenty of Cardinal items, many of them collectibles, but not sure how many are in my price range. I subscribe to the Cardinal magazine and I ordered the Stan Musial commemorative edition when it was offered. I would have to check the website to see it anything appeals to me. South Dakota's Corn Palace, in Mitchell, renovations get city ok. This was a place I saw about a week later, as part of my South Dakota tour that included Mount Rushmore and Wall Drug. A look back had an article about food rationing in World War II. A new show, The Millers. This is one that I have seen, it is on CBS. What do you share when you swipe? This was an article about debit and credit card fraud at Schnucks grocery stores. It sounds a little like what just happened at Target. Breaking up Barnes and Noble could unlock its true value. But their PR department declined to comment about the company's plans. There are three main components to the business- retail, which is likely most of the stores. Then there's college, as I know many of the college bookstores are owned by them. Finally there is Nook, the e-reader business.
    I am watching The Fly Show, and they just covered the creepy deodorant commercial, I have seen it. This is an Old Spice commercial with 'Helicopter moms' in it when their sons are on dates.
   An E-bay order arrived, it was a comic postcard from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, so now there are 41 cards from this fair. I sent a holiday card to my aunt, who had sent me one. I had hoped to get a book returned to the History Book Club as I didn't order it, at midday. But the line was too long at the post office, just one clerk and I was the 8th in line. I didn't see myself making it to first in line in 10 minutes so I left. When I go back I will allow myself more time during my lunch to get it done.
   It wasn't too big of a deal getting to and from work today despite the weather. I saw that I was prepared so it meant getting out my green scarf to cover my face. It was knitted by my late grandma when I was young, it hadn't been used much lately. For a while it was the tie for my sleeping bag, that I no longer have. When I was walking home after work I heard somebody ask for a dollar, twice. If they were asking me I ignored them as I just wanted to get inside.     

Take Your Memory With You

        Recently I heard a song right after turning on my TV. I don't know what the show was, but I did look up the song. It was 'Take your memory with you' by Vince Gill. As usual, having key lyrics helped with looking it up online. I wrote down 'Take your memory with you when you go'. When I found it on Youtube I chose the video that was from the Grand Old Opry. It was about a relationship ending, it did make me think of another country song about relationships, 'Leaving here a better man' by Clint Black. So I found that Youtube video as well.
   There was very little on my schedule for the day, so I didn't venture out at all in this cold weather. I stayed in and watched the two football games. San Diego beat Cincinnati 27-10 in the first game and San Francisco beat Green Bay 23-20 in the second. San Francisco won on a last-second field goal. I also went through a tote bag I hadn't looked at in a while. It had forms in it from when I was a delegate at local political conventions in 2008. I shredded a decent amount of the papers since they were obsolete by now, and plenty of copies of my resume as it had addresses I no longer live at. I kept a small number to see the evolution of my resume. On one of these, when I lived in Des Plaines, I had written on the back of it. I wrote down various football stadiums, bowl games, or both, likely places that I wanted to see. A total of 19 are on this list. I did make it to many of them! I had four categories- West, Texas, Florida, and South. The first one was the U. of Washington in Seattle, and I did make it there for a vacation in 2007. Another was the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. I did make it to Sun Devil Stadium in 2005 and saw two games there, but it wasn't the Fiesta Bowl that I saw. Then there's the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, which I saw in late 2006. For Florida I have the Hall of Fame (now Outback) Bowl in Tampa, which I saw in early 2009. I had hoped to see the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. But when I was in the area the driver didn't want to stop there, wanted to avoid the rush-hour traffic. For Texas I made it to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas during the State Fair in 2010 for a Grambling football game. For the south I made it to three of them. One of these was the Peach (now Chick-Fil-A) Bowl in Atlanta, as I did see some Tae kwon do matches at the Georgia Dome where the game is played. I saw the Clemson football stadium in the Carolinas but did not attend a game there. Last is the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, and I did see a Tulane football game at the Superdome in 2002. I did also list the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, but during my visit to see my college roommate in 2008 we saw a minor-league baseball game and I have no idea where the football stadium is. Four were listed at the bottom after all of the earlier listings were crossed out, and I've been to two of these four- Fiesta and Cotton Bowls, but not the Rose and Orange Bowls. For the Cotton Bowl I wrote 'Texas State Fair', maybe a game or concert besides just Oklahoma-Texas'. It is nice to get things crossed off my list, be a doer.
    I did get some more reading done on back issues of the paper, now read through the month of June. First was from VitaMN, and the Big Red 1 from the First National Bank building was on the cover. It was about an art festival in St. Paul. One picture was of Union Depot. There was mention of musician Jeff Buckley (and his dad, Tim) since a biopic was being released. Alexis on the Sexes, an advice columnist, tackled the issue of lending money to a casual date. There was an article about the death of Esther Williams, who swam her way to Hollywood stardom. And about the anniversary of D-Day from World War Two. It was disassembly time at the Ford plant in St. Paul. Flat Earth brewing moved to the Hamm's beer site. I liked how the article went through the history of Hamm's, including its cartoon bear ad campaign, and how it was a big East Side employer like Whirlpool and 3M. But all three have left now. City Pages had an article about 'The state of beer', microbreweries. One of these was 612 Brew, which I recall was a big sponsor of a comedy festival I saw in the past year.
  On the other side of the card I wrote on for notes, it continues with things like the George Zimmerman trial beginning. Dessa, the local musician, released a new album. I liked what she said about how most of her music is about herself, saying she can't tell a made-up story as well as a true one. There was a French movie 'Augustine', about a troubled maid. Carolyn Hax, the advice columnist, had a letter titled 'She wants wedding, he wants to elope'. The Mayan exhibit opened at the Science Museum. I think it just closed this weekend, and I didn't see it as it didn't appeal to me. At New York's JFK Airport, the Worldport terminal is endangered since it was abandoned by Delta Airlines. There was mention of trying to find The Griffin, a shipwreck in Lake Michigan that was led by famous explorer, La Salle, in the 1600s. Mandela's illness weighs on Obama, and Mandela passed away since then. There was a documentary movie, Secret Disco Revolution. Marc Rich, fugitive financier, dies in Switzerland. My ex once spoke of somebody who fled to Switzerland due to tax evasion. When I saw mention in the story of how this man dealt with minerals and metals, and fled to the town of Zug in particular, I am thinking this must be who had worked with my ex's dad.
   Last but not least, we have the funny columnist. He spoke of a PCA complaint, and how the sun will 'Make me look like a ranting fool'. Something about a weather-induced, bad mood epidemic. The weather is intended to keep us humble. There was something about moods and precipitation, and Twitter. What made me laugh was something about a statue of Bud Grant in the arms of the Pillsbury doughboy. Then there's why he will be out of juice the next time the power goes out. Something about buying batteries online at Amazon and not in stores. Finally there is the North Dakota tourism billboard, a puzzler- 'Arrive a guest, leave a legend'. He includes mention of South Dakota in it, about making a wrong turn and how slow the progress has been at the Crazy Horse Memorial. This billboard did make me think of one of my comedian friends, as the 'Extra murder' comic had a joke about it. He said you'll be a legend because 'You will be the coolest guy here'.  

Gameworks Tickets

       I did some cleanup today, going through two plastic sandwich bags full of event tickets. I found some Gameworks tickets, seven in all. I went online and confirmed they were from my time living in suburban Chicago, as there is a location in Schaumburg near Woodfield Mall. No other locations were in the Midwest. Not sure when I got them, but as I recall they had the free tickets for an advance screening of 'Shrek' back in 2001. During my next visit to the area I will have to see about redeeming them. Of course it means finding out if they are still of value. But I don't want to cram too much into one weekend. I would already like to see the World's Fair exhibit at the Field Museum, as well as a
Wolves hockey game, a comedy show, and the World's Fair postcard collection at a suburban library. It means studying how to make the logistics work, and I am up to that challenge. Some things are only possible on certain days, or certain times of day. And a ticket redemption won't take long unless it is hard to find a parking spot and I stay to play games to get more tickets. I do like Skee-ball.
   The day started off with some cleanup. I went into my box of greeting cards and was pleased that there were 3 postcards in it. One was from Thailand, it was from my college roommate. This was the second of his two visits there, and I was sent a postcard from the first visit as well. One was from Las Vegas, from my Little League teammate. The third was from Pittsburgh, from my mom. I got those into photo albums where they belong.
    There was some chores and errand running on my list to get done before it got colder. The first stop was to the Blockbuster Video liquidation sale. I bought two videos, Ordinary People and Crazy Heart. I also got a 6-pack of little Baby Ruth candy bars, and two Girl Scout candy bars. Then it was a stop for groceries, and eventually to Little Caesar's for a pepperoni pizza. I got the recycle and trash done shortly after returning with pizza. Because of this, I didn't see much of the first football playoff game. The Chiefs led the Colts 31-10 at halftime but lost 45-44. I probably saw more of the second game, Saints-Eagles, the Saints won 26-24 on a last-second field goal.    

Fireplace Video From Netflix

     I went to the comedy club tonight and the 'Extra murder' comic did a joke about fireplaces on Netflix. It of course made me think about 'Yule Log', a show I like to watch around Christmas. I got plenty of shout-outs since I was in the front row. My 'Bestie' performed as well, he did his 'Chivalry is dead' joke. I like it and I hadn't heard it in a while. We spoke briefly after the show but he left quickly. I said I would still like to see one of his shows on the road. I've heard plenty about the venue in Appleton, WI, near Green Bay. It sounds like he may be there in the spring. I had meant to see a show there previously but my schedule didn't allow it, this was three years ago.
    On the way to the venue I did pass by the site of a building destroyed by fire this week. I could still detect a burnt smell, likely since the demolition isn't finished yet.
    After the show I did find some videos on  Youtube about the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. Some of them were newsreels, and it included a demonstration of Chrysler cars on a test track. I am now up to 40 postcards from this fair since some more arrived this week.

Everything Is An Art Nowadays

       I had to look at my notes last week from reading the papers from the month of May. With not wanting to go anywhere due to the subzero weather it meant getting caught up on many things. As usual I liked the funny columnist. The last of 5 was how everything is an art nowadays, how the Twin Cities can add 'Creative' to the list of top 10 traits. The others included 'Bit o history', about Pearson's Salted Nut Roll buying Bit o honey. Minnesota has a place in candy history, with mention of Minneapolis nougat. Then there was 'Paper or plastic', about a bag of bags, and a nickel tax on the grocery bags. Next was four dollars a gallon on gas, 'You get a card!' because you don't have enough cards. The fourth was about expansion at Mall of America.
   There was a variety of publications, not just the Minneapolis paper. The notable articles started off with the star conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra threatening to quit if no deal was in place. There was a memorial for George Jones, the musician. Two popes call the Vatican home. A picture of
micro-apartments, many were the size of hotel rooms. There was the premier issue of the St. Paul Globe, and an article about the previous paper with the same name which ceased publication in 1905. It was about railroad baron James J. Hill and financier J.P. Morgan. Also an article about the sport of boxing in the city. The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra returns. Then there was the emerald ash borer and Asian carp. The gay marriage bill was signed into law. Apparently the Schmidt brewery sign will return. City Pages had a cover story about the 'Ag-gag war'. About those who expose the atrocities at factory farms. Advice columnist Carolyn Hax responded to a 20-something stuck in 'The friend zone' and this woman said she does comedy, like I do. There was 'Memphis blues'- due to lost flights since the merger of  Delta and Northwest Airlines. There was also a lawsuit filed by former governor Jesse Ventura, over defamation in a book.
     I watched two episodes of 'Big Bang Theory' tonight. The syndicated rerun was about Sheldon meddling in the relationship between Leonard and Dr. Stephanie. He shows up on their date at a movie theater. The prime time episode was penny getting a role on a TV show, but then her scene was cut. She proposes to Leonard, who doesn't respond. Sheldon keeps trying too hard to be funny.       

Jaclyn Smith Shoebox

       I went to the Timberwolves basketball game this evening, against the New Orleans Pelicans. I took the light rail to the game, and on the train I saw an empty Jaclyn Smith shoebox. I picked it up and put it in a trash bin at my stop near the Target Center. I know this was an actress that was on the TV show 'Charlie's Angels' in the 1970s.  The Wolves won the game 124-112, after leading 61-47 at halftime. I liked how the Wolves spread around the scoring, as I counted at least 6 players scoring in double figures from following the scoreboard. There were multiple technical fouls in it, which I know is not typical. I had to walk around the concourse at halftime to get the blood flowing as I was starting to fall asleep in my seat.
   This was my annual visit to see the Wolves, as I like the reminder of my 'Benchmark' visit to New Orleans. And it meant wearing the Mardi Gras beads I brought back from my 2002 visit at the game tonight. This is the first year the basketball team is know as the Pelicans. I knew it had been the name of their long-ago minor league baseball team, and Louisiana is known as the Pelican State. Then there's also the John Grisham book and movie 'Pelican Brief'.
   At midday I went to a sports bar and watched Iowa play in the Outback Bowl. Iowa lost 21-14 to LSU after trailing 14-0 at halftime. Iowa couldn't move the ball well, aside from an interception return and kick return, which set up both of their touchdowns.