Suicide And Sex Offender Jokes

    The show closer at the comedy club tonight did plenty of suicide and sex offender jokes. He will also be the headliner for the rest of the week.  It was unexpected as he wasn't on the printed lineup. But another comic was scheduled and didn't make it, so they may have had enough time for this reason, or needed a fill-in, or both. The neck tattoo comic did his 'Show of guns' joke about his rough neighborhood. He also did one about different flavors of ramen noodles. The Maryland native botched some jokes and dropped a swear word each time so it was still funny. The bathtub comic brought back his 'Happy divorce day' joke about going to a theme park- after it was announced his parents were getting divorced. The turtle check comic did one about getting a comment on his weight, he was told 'you've changed shapes'. I had to figure out what name worked, since his best joke is about a swear word. But I recalled one about somebody wearing a turtleneck when it is warm. What do we wear, in a tired voice. Then it leads to him saying turtleneck, turtle check. He was hard to find after the show, saying he had to go to his car to find something.         

Tender Comrade

I was searching for the song 'Tender Comrade' on Youtube and found out it was also the name of a movie from 1943 starring Ginger Rogers. So I liked how I learned something from online searches. This of course was the World War 2 era, and it sounded like it was inspired by what was then current events based on what I found on Wikipedia. I was more familiar with 'Stage Door Canteen' since I wanted to see it after it was mentioned in one of my history books in school.
   I watched some of the college basketball tournament after I had coffee at a Caribou. Connecticut and Kentucky won to complete the Final Four. And I placed another E-bay order, a World's Fair postcard. I still need to file a claim about the two orders that did not arrive, but according to the tracking numbers they were delivered  a week earlier when I was out running errands.
   I feel like this date went well, this was the 'second first date'. Though we didn't do a walk, as my date was ill. I liked how I pushed myself to get to the fitness center this afternoon, as I did speak of it on the date. I am back into the habit more of exercising besides just walking, even if I am not at the fitness center for long it is still exercise to walk through the skyway to get there after parking my car.    

Thanks For Sharing Movie

      I got another Redbox movie tonight, it was 'Thanks for sharing'. A good cast, including Tim Robbins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Carol Kane, and Pink the singer (using her real name, Alecia Moore). It mainly centered around those in a support group, AA or something similar. Some scenes were predictable, like the physician being fired when he was caught 'Upskirting' his boss. But any addiction- in this case sex- can be hard to overcome, so I knew why it was being depicted. Pink proved to do well in an acting role, I know some singers before her have tried acting. She works in a beauty salon and is shown shaving somebody with a straight razor. It was tough to watch in some areas, like when an estranged son was accused of theft. But it seemed to be progress towards an ending filled with hope for the three men. I liked some of the music in it, no surprise for those who know me. This included 'Hero' by Family of The Year, and 'Tender Comrade' by Billy Bragg. Let me go, I don't want to be your hero. Brothers in arms, what do we do when the war is over. Those lyrics resonated with me. 
    I did some errand running much like last weekend, I stopped at the same antique shop and got two postcards along with a Chicago World's Fair souvenir. One postcard was of Schlitz Beer, the beer that made Milwaukee famous. The other was the Botanical Garden in St. Louis, mailed from Jefferson Barracks. It appears to have been sent by a World War 2 soldier, not the first I have. The World's Fair souvenir had some nice photos, as a cover for some sewing needles inside. I also made it back to the hardware store near the Xcel Center, which is running a liquidation sale. I got a hammer and some duct tape. Then it was on to the library to print things, and when I got home I saw an E-bay order arrived, another World's Fair postcard. After resting a little I was back on the road, to have coffee at Rosedale Mall in Roseville. I was spotted by somebody there who asked me if I did comedy, I said 'Matter of fact I do'. She had seen me at the club inside a mall. It reminds me of an Andy Warhol quote about fame, but it feels like I have passed 15 minutes already.
    I read some articles about the two Mets-Blue Jays baseball games in Montreal, the Blue Jays won both, 5-4 on Friday and 2-0 today. These games closed out the exhibition season for both teams. There were big crowds at both games, since it was the first major league baseball games in Montreal since the Expos left town nearly 10 years ago. Some talked of trying to bring back major league ball to the city, but it is a longshot. There was a minor league club at one point, Jackie Robinson played on this team as it was a Dodgers affiliate. A minor league team is a more likely thing. I saw two Expos games in Montreal back in 2002, one against the Braves and the other against the Phillies. It was tough to see such sparse crowds at Olympic Stadium, as they averaged about 6,000 fans a night near the end. Some minor league clubs can draw more fans than this. But they had big crowds for these exhibition games.
   I didn't watch any of the college basketball tournament today, as both regional finals games were on TBS and I don't have cable. Based on online searches it said Wisconsin and Florida won to reach the Final Four. It looks like both of Sunday's games will be on CBS though.    

He Needs A Hospital

     When I was taking the bus home from work tonight there was somebody who got on while still in downtown St. Paul asking if the route goes to a certain hospital. The driver said it did not go directly to one, though fairly close. Judging by the way he spoke, and didn't seem to be standing very steadily, it looked like he needed to get to a hospital. Some may have just thought he had too much to drink.
   I did make it to the American Legion on St. Paul's East Side tonight for their fish fry. It helped that I left nearly an hour earlier, compared to last week. The Lions Club sponsored this one, there is a different sponsor each week. The desserts were popular, and sold separately from the all you can eat, a dollar apiece for desserts. It was ten dollars for the fish and main course items like potatoes, baked beans, and corn. The desserts were so popular that I got the last one, two cookies. I did look into some other places having fish fries, two others based on price and location interest me. One man said this fish fry was cheaper than many others since it is staffed by volunteers, which made sense. One of the college basketball tournament games was on when I was there, Tennessee vs. Michigan. It was still on when I got home, Michigan held on to win it. I didn't watch much else on the tournament tonight since I was at the comedy club, but there were plenty of monitors there saying who won the other three games. Michigan State, Kentucky, and Connecticut also advanced.
   At the comedy club tonight, there was a different show closer. This time it was somebody I will call the 'Pottery barn' comic as he did a new joke about shopping at pottery barn with his bride-to-be, since he just got engaged. I have seen him do comedy many times before, and earlier this week he was wearing a Frank Zappa shirt if I'm not mistaken. The bus fare comic did his 'Poop in this bar' joke. The self-checkout comic did his 'Why I don't have tattoos' joke. The Maryland native did a joke about being on a date with a 'Trannie'. I did get a few shout-outs. After the show I saw the Belarus native and said I was used to seeing him in the front row ready to give high-fives to performers when leaving the stage. I didn't see him doing this tonight though, and he said it was due to having a different show closer. He asked me and others why he does the high-five thing, but didn't seem to give his own answer. When I was leaving he did high-five me.

Charleston River Dogs

     I tried again to order a book and was unsuccessful. This time I tried the local baseball team, the St. Paul Saints, as I wanted 'Fun is good' by Mike Veeck and he runs the team. When I called I was told they would contact another team under the same ownership group, the Charleston River Dogs in South Carolina. But I found out with the shipping fee through UPS that it would be even more than with Barnes and Noble. So I had to say no. But I did let them know I saw a game there in April 2010 when I was touring the Carolinas. It was an extra inning game against the Braves affiliate. He did start off by saying his name was Mike, but it wasn't Mike Veeck. I said I expected Mr. Veeck to be a busy man.
    I watched one episode of 'Big Bang Theory' tonight, it was a syndicated rerun as of course the college basketball tournament was on again so no prime time episode. It was the one where Howard's mom was in the hospital, and Howard thinks it's because he announced how we plans to marry Bernadette. I still like what the physician said: and I quote, she'd like to talk to the little Catholic girl first. Then he writes a prescription for Howard, knowing he's Jewish and figures he had anxiety about bringing a Catholic girl home to his mom.
    Florida, Dayton, Arizona, and Wisconsin won in the tournament. I paid most attention to Dayton vs. Stanford, and the second game from the South Regional in Memphis was also shown on CBS, Florida vs. UCLA. I did my best to get caught up on paperwork and emails. I liked seeing something
in an email from The Loft how there is a chance to have a writing as part of an exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Now it means looking into it further to see what the standards are and get something submitted by the deadline next month.
   Most notable thing in the mail today was an Amazon order arriving, it was a friend's comedy CD. Actually it is two discs, the other is a DVD. Now I need to find the time to listen and watch them. This comic doesn't have a nickname yet, but he is in The Turkeys and I know most of the performers in that troupe. After basketball I liked seeing a feature on the WCCO late news about fish fries in Minnesota during Lent. I am trying to get to one this Friday.

First Time Karaoke

        I went to a bar tonight to do comedy, and ended up doing even more. It was my first time doing karaoke, and I was at the Turf Club in St. Paul. I chose 'Lose Yourself' by Eminem, from the movie '8-Mile', as the movie made me an Eminem fan. I found out it was harder than it looks, but I did well on keeping up. Sounds like I am already famous because of it, as there were Facebook postings about it and somebody filming me. I look forward to seeing myself on film.
   Before the show I went to the nearby CVS pharmacy to pick up a few items. I had a craving for chips, and got a small can of Pringles and those were eaten right away. But I also got a can of Hormel chili and a small package of Ritz crackers as I needed dinner for the next day. It was way more enjoyable to visit this time, as my most recent visit was earlier this month to get some Pepto-Bismol as I had just threw up.
   It went well on doing comedy, which wasn't that long after doing karaoke. Most were fairly new jokes, and I liked getting around to ones about internet dating. I did one about how some matches are surprised I am still single, never been married. I thought about adding to one of my coworker jokes but didn't, as we exchanged I.M.'s in reference to the monthly birthday cake which was around midday. She claims I am unable to match wits with her, though I can match wits with the best of them. I did take a camera phone photo of some comics when requested. I saw plenty of comics there but didn't see all of them perform. The show was running late and I needed to leave. I shared a table with the dental assistant for a while, I think he was scheduled for real late. I liked and knew many of the karaoke songs, starting with 'Back on the chain gang' by the Pretenders. Another did 'Why do we crucify ourselves' in the lyrics. The bus fare comic did both comedy and karaoke like I did.
   When I was leaving I did say I am thankful for the stage time to the show runner. I will call her the International Falls native as this is given on her Facebook page and sometimes fellow comics are named for where they are from.
   I liked doing Wii dancing as usual near the end of my workday. songs included 'Toxic', 'Big beautiful girls', and 'D.A.N.C.E.' I did give an update to my advisor at work about the 'Soap opera' that is my dating life. Sounds like my match is interested in a walk, followed by coffee or dinner.

Airport Super-America

    There is a Super-America near the airport that I sometimes stop at, and I did so tonight on the way to the comedy club. I needed fuel, and had a craving for the Old Dutch 'Puffcorn', which is much like popcorn. So it meant going inside for the Puffcorn and a bottle of apple juice. The attendant saw my Minnesota Wild winter hat and wanted to talk about this hockey team for a while, until another customer showed up. I had to say I saw their minor league affiliate play this year, and this is true. He spoke of how they should play better when they've signed two players to big contracts. I said it's sometimes team chemistry as to who wins, and not how much money is spent on players. As I recall he said the Boston Bruins played better defense. It was unexpected to have this as a conversation topic. I said they are still in line to make the playoffs at this point, and for most teams this is a sign of a successful season.
    I did tell one friend at work about the 'Soap opera' that is my online dating life. And another, my 'Work spouse', had to leave early or otherwise would have heard about it as well. I did get a response to my message, and there is some interest in meeting this weekend. I said a movie is a bad idea since one can't talk at a movie. Our first date was more than six months ago so this really is like another first date, needing to get to know each other. I do have some trusted advisors about my social life, but I have enough dating experience now that I don't need advice as much as I once did. 
   At the comedy club tonight, the school bouncer was the M.C. He did well as usual. The godmother did jokes about yoga at church, along with a newer one about 'Save the date' fridge magnets. My 'Bestie' did ones about being willing to die for his lady, and how he has considered dating other women. The ex-TSA comic did ones about Minnesota and Wisconsin towns, as innuendo, and his car sounding like a cartoon tiger in winter. I liked a newer one about the History Channel, as a history major. The Mason City native did one about getting a DNA test back on his ethnic background from Ancestry dot-com.

Palace Theater, St. Paul

     I passed by the newspaper box as usual this morning after getting off the bus and saw a headline that caught my eye. It was about an interest in having a movie theater in downtown St. Paul again. This would be the Palace Theater, it has been empty for most of my time living in the Twin Cities. For a while I noticed them having up posters for a Brave New Workshop show, called 'Minnesota- It's not just for Lutherans anymore'. They had people crammed into the outline of the shape of the state. There is a proposal to give funding to this theater going through the legislature.
    It was a long day at work as the payoff report arrived late and of course it was big since it is a Monday. So I went to lunch much later than typical.
    I was onstage tonight at the comedy club, and it went real well. I did plenty of new jokes, or modified some jokes I just tried last week about coworkers. I also like finally doing the one about seeing an employee sweep up pennies at McDonald's. My fellow comics are quite interested in how I write a blog, including about the shows I go to. Some have asked what their name is here, and not all of them have names yet. Two comics I write about often performed- the 'Extra murder' comic did jokes about seeing plenty of movies and his phone book/phone booth joke. The Tetris comic was show closer and did his boat name joke, and asked crowd members for boat names.
   After getting home from the show I checked my internet dating profile and noticed one match in it wasn't a new one. It was somebody I had a date with in September. I was told my match didn't want to date right now and would inform me when they are ready. I did send a message through the site right away- despite the fact that we exchanged personal emails earlier. I said I remember you, and asked if my match is ready to date now. 

Baggage Claim Movie

    Today I wanted to watch a Redbox movie. The McDonald's in my neighborhood has a Redbox kiosk, but they didn't have the movie I wanted, 'Thanks for sharing'. Pink the singer is in it. So I got 'Baggage Claim' instead. I like traveling so the premise worked for me, about a flight attendant trying to find a mate in a month, before her younger sister gets married. It was silly in many areas, but I liked it. Many of the characters seemed to be familiar, with personalities like people I have known before. There is the overbearing mom, along with the friends at work that often try to give you advice which doesn't necessarily work for you- the same advice that may or may not work for themselves. I did get the joke about how the 'Mr. Right' for the flight attendant was named 'Mr. Wright'. It was also funny about how her colleagues at the airport were willing to help in her search for finding a mate, like stalling the man at the airport until she got there. Or getting her through security quickly. The line I really liked was from her neighbor, who said 'It isn't just getting married but staying married'. If I want 'Sharing', the other movie, I know I can search online for the nearby location that has it. I am willing to drive a little to find a movie I want.   
     I stayed in for a while this morning, first listening to a friend's radio show. The subjects covered included an Old Testament God, Tim Tebow, World War 2 re-enactors, divorce laws, Westboro Baptist Church, and the Get Shot! music video filmed near the church. I called in as the host requested it, expecting me to know a Bible verse. I was online at the time, ordering another friend's comedy CD at Amazon dot-com. So I found one in my online search that was close enough in my opinion, 1 Timothy 4:12, about setting an example.
    I did watch some of the college basketball tournament, Stanford beat Kansas. I also tried to watch Iowa State against North Carolina, but fell asleep before it ended. I later found out Iowa State won. I made it over to the dollar store and got a can opener, and some batteries for my portable CD player. Then after making it to the fitness center for about 15 minutes I was home again for the rest of the night. After watching 'The Simpsons', about the family acquiring a fake painting, I watched the Redbox movie and then called my dad. He had sent me an Iowa Cubs pocket schedule and we are trying to figure out what game to attend this year.   

Finally, A Plunger

     I had plenty of things on my list to get done today. One of them was go to a hardware store near the Xcel Center in downtown St. Paul and get a plunger and a hammer, as I don't have those things. But I left with neither, as I realized I don't do well shopping when I need to go to the bathroom and get back to my car as the meter was about to expire. I ended up getting a plunger at a different place, Walgreen. It was a 'Some assembly required' item. I had to screw the handle into the rubber part of the plunger. Thankful I haven't needed a plunger just yet but it was a bad idea to go without one for so long.
   The day started with me getting thank-you letters sent out, four in all, three were to family. It was in reference to birthday cards I had recently received. Since it was already midday by then I went to get lunch as well. I stopped at a Holiday station to use the ATM and got lunch there. I had my car radio on, and it was a hockey game at the Xcel Center. The NHL's Minnesota Wild were playing a matinee against the Detroit Red Wings, due to a college hockey championship scheduled for the evening. So I had to think of an alternate place to park as everything near the hardware store had signs posted saying 'No event parking'. I found a place but had to walk a little, and I figured just over an hour on the meter would be enough. I first shopped at an antique store, where I had been a few months earlier
to purchase some Winter Carnival buttons and World's Fair postcards. This time I bought four postcards, one of them was patriotic as it prominently had a flag on it and a poem. Another was of a tunnel from the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I liked it as it reminded me of tunnels I had driven through before like the Lowry Tunnel in Minneapolis. I saw a wide variety of hammers and couldn't find any plungers at the hardware store, which is having a liquidation sale. But I wanted to see that I bought what I really wanted and needed, so it meant waiting a little longer.
     By the time I got back to my car I knew I really needed to go to the bathroom, and I figured my best bet was to find a place outside of downtown. I went to the Best Western at the edge of downtown on Rice Street next to a Sears and did my business there. I had been to this hotel before to check out their stamp collecting sale, and found out there was one again. I liked what I walked away with, more first day covers. There were eight of these. One was of the San Francisco World's Fair of 1939, and I already had one from the New York World's Fair from the same year. Other notables were 'Prevent drug abuse' from 1971 and 'Family planning' from 1972. I really liked finding a set of 5 pre-stamped postcards- some of them were airmail- promoting tourism from 1972. I got it for a song, as it said 42 cents on the envelope but got it for a quarter. I had been to a few of the places depicted on it, like Mt. Rushmore, Statue of Liberty, a San Francisco cable car, Liberty Bell, and Washington, DC. I found some envelopes with foreign stamps on them, one from Fiji and the other the USSR, but these will not go into the binder with the first day covers. The 'Savings and loan' cover from 1981 also arrived today, an E-bay order.
     After making a quick stop at the library, had to be as they were about to close for the day, I went on to the Goodwill in Roseville as I wanted to find a photo album for postcards. I found a good one, along with a picture frame and a set of two luggage tags. The tags weren't on my list, but they looked really catchy. These were round tags, one was one of those black and yellow 'Have a nice day' smiley faces but had a mustache instead of a mouth. The other was a woman with a word balloon saying 'We all have baggage'. The latter was why I bought the set. I wanted another photo album as I had one with World's Fair postcards- specifically Chicago 1933- but it was a small one and nearly full. Well this won't be a problem now when these cards were in an album of 80, but now 200.
    My next stop was Cheapo Music, as I wanted a few CDs. There were 10 on my list, I bought 3. This was 'Artpop' by Lady Gaga, her latest. Another was 'Greatest Hits' by Charley Pride, and I made sure it had songs I really liked- 'San Antone' and 'I'm Just Me' on it. The third was by Brett Dennen, 'Hope for the Hopeless', as I wanted the one with 'Follow Your Heart' on it. I like their selection of postcards, and got one with a Laundromat scene on it. Finally there was Walgreen, where I got more than just the plunger. I also needed some bar soap, and more sheet protectors for the first day covers.
   It was evening by then, so after getting the 9 first day covers in the binder and the postcards in the album I knew I needed to go eat. It was kind of late by then, so I decided to just make my meal part of my weekly grocery run. I got a dented can of spaghetti and meatballs from the discount table for 69 cents. Then I told myself I was unsure if I had a can opener as it wasn't a pull tab. After a quick search it looked like there wasn't one, and I used a can piercer instead. Let it be known, readers. I don't recommend this. I had to be careful to avoid cutting myself. All the while I was reminded of how I once cut my finger on a soup can. I guess I can still be daring, just wanting to challenge myself. It wasn't easy to get the can open far enough to get any of the contents out and into the pan to heat it up. I watched some of the college basketball tournament, Wisconsin held on to beat Oregon. The game ended ugly with a technical foul.   

The Sponsor's House

    I had to listen to a woman take a call on her cell phone on the bus this morning. I heard more than I what I wanted to know about her life. Sounded like she was homeless as she spoke of how even an efficiency (probably meant apartment) is fine, and she could stay at her sponsor's house. I heard something about drug testing as well.
   I had hoped to enjoy the fish fry tonight at the American Legion but I got there just after 7pm and was told they were out of fish by then. This news was given by a woman who was having a smoke by the front door. I went in anyway to confirm. I did get another box of Girl Scout cookies, Samoas. The woman tried to give me another recommendation on a fish fry, but it didn't pan out in my mind. I did find the place, no problem there, as it was just a few blocks away. But the sign out front told me the price she gave me wasn't accurate. She told me $8.95, but it was $12.99. So I didn't eat there. I knew there also was a McDonald's on the east side, so I drove over there and had a Filet-o-Fish sandwich and fries. An employee was sweeping up when I was sitting down to eat, and some pennies were swept up. I said I don't understand why some throw away pennies, as I throw them in a jar. She said some people are rich, I said 'or dumb'. She didn't sweep up all of them, so I picked up three.
   I was onstage tonight at the comedy club. I happened to be early in the lineup. Much of them were new jokes, like about colleagues. One of them was about leaving Minnesota to see a hockey game.  

James Dean Tie

     I briefly met with my boss this morning and he was wearing a James Dean tie. It was to let me know what my pay raise would be, and when it takes effect. I don't think I have noticed his ties much before, but I know how there are a wide variety of ties available.
    I did watch 2 episodes of 'Big Bang Theory' tonight, but not a prime time episode as the college basketball tournament is on. The first one was about Priya asking Leonard to stop doing things with Penny, and how Sheldon couldn't figure out a card trick Howard was doing. The second was one where Lewis Black guest starred as a cricket expert. He was asked to settle a bet between Sheldon and Howard.
     I tried to watch some of the tournament, but didn't pay much attention at all. It can be hard to do in the early rounds as they move between games often. I know Texas beat Arizona State in a close game. Michigan won as well. These two games were from Milwaukee, the Bradley Center, where I saw a Coldplay concert in 2006. I spent some time going through some forms, shredding what I no longer needed or valued, and writing out two checks. One was for my internet service provider, the other my University of Iowa alumni association membership. I also fell asleep for a little while, but I know this tends to happen when tired and laying down in my easy chair. Not much in the mail today, one E-bay order arrived, it was a first day cover honoring the sport of baseball at the Olympic games in 1992. It is the third I have related to the sport as a whole, the others being anniversaries from 1939 and 1969.

Night Boat To Cairo

     I like doing the Wii dancing a lot at my workplace in the afternoon, and I do my best to remember the songs we danced to. There was 5 today. This included 'ET' by Katy Perry, 'Are you going to go my way' by Lenny Kravitz, 'Night boat to Cairo', a version of a song from the movie 'Pulp Fiction' by the Black-eyed peas (I think it may be called 'Pump It', since it is in the lyrics) and 'I don't feel like dancing'. Some of these we have done before, but I didn't mind. I just like the exercise. The event coordinator really wanted to do 'Night Boat To Cairo', she hadn't been there for the past two sessions. We have mummies on the screen showing what dance moves get us points for this song.
     There were plenty of good jokes at the comedy club tonight, and I did my best to write down what I liked. 'Auto-correct' did one about somebody having a boob tattoo, and about taking an acting class.  The 'Time share' comic did one about dating someone with a protective friend, which  included a Robert DeNiro impression. The Kentucky native did some jokes about being in a mental hospital. The next comic was somebody I had written about before, doing a set with a Siri app, but didn't have a name for her then. She will be the 'Dog Conga' comic. She did a joke about a Tigger tattoo, and how she isn't a paper boy or a farmer- due to her bib overalls and hat. And she did the one about testa-roni- the one about the dog conga line. The godmother did ones about a relative trying to diagnose her with lupus, yoga at church, being asked to be officiant at a carnie wedding, and being married to a cop. The Tetris comic did the ones about Taco John's and trains, home use catheters, and taste buds.
    I hadn't seen the show closer in a while, as she now lives in southern California. She did one about being called a pretty Steve Buscemi, and growing up in Washington State where they had battleships and meth in her hometown since it was a military town. She herself served, in the Air Force. So I will call her 'Air Force nuke launcher' as she does a joke about this being what she was in charge of in the military. She also did one about heroin being a legal drug for a while.
    I had traded messages with her on Facebook in the past week, since she posted her tour schedule there. I said Rochester is not close enough, haven't been there for comedy yet. But I was pleased to find out she planned to be in the Twin Cities as well, just didn't know specifically when. She did make a joke about how that town should be close enough, when she arrived tonight, since she drove 2,000 miles to get to the area.

Shakespeare's Othello, At The Guthrie

    I had the day off from work today to attend a play at the Guthrie as part of the Roosevelt mentoring program. We saw Shakespeare's Othello. I did admit how I cheated a little and read about the play on Wikipedia in advance. My student did not show up, was told English is his second language and he fears getting too far behind in his classes. I was paired with another student but he didn't speak much. I followed the story fairly well, as it was about a secret marriage where the bride's dad didn't approve. Othello was involved in a military action in a foreign land. Some jealousy happens, and then people die. Death is one thing that can be expected when the play is called a tragedy. Lunch was furnished there, I had two sandwiches, a roast beef and then turkey, since there were some left over. The event coordinator did offer me more, but I had to say I had already eaten two. Since I was near Bobby and Steve's I went over there after the play ended and got a little Godfather's pizza before getting on the light rail back home in the early afternoon. I will have the pizza later in the week. Since some more E-bay orders arrived, I worked on getting them into my binder of first day cover stamped envelopes. I did place some orders before getting on the road for the play in the morning, and another just before I left to go to the comedy club tonight. So I ordered a total of four items today. The fourth order was honoring the 150th anniversary of savings and loans, in 1981. I found it when doing a search for those stamped in Chicago, as many of my recent orders were. Seems out of place now for those who recall the S and L woes of the 1980s, where many lost faith in this kind of financial institution so
these places closed in droves. Bad loans was to blame. I recall there were at least two in my hometown of Newton, Iowa, one was called Mid-Iowa and the other American Federal. Both went away, don't know if there are any left in Newton- or how many are left nationwide.
    At the comedy club tonight, the Maryland native did his joke about his dad drinking O'Doul's with vodka. The Tetris comic did jokes about a train operator stopping the train for Taco John's, and he did his catheter joke as well. The self checkout comic was the M.C. He had some good jokes about the performers, including one who ran the light. Even I did a slashing motion across my throat as I saw the light more than once. Eventually the show runner went to the techie, who had the microphone shut off. The M.C. did say when the show ended how the roads were bad after the snowfall. I will admit I didn't want to leave that bad but knew I had no choice. I made it home just fine, but I took it slower than typical as I wanted to avoid sliding off the road or into someone.

Squirrel At Dunkin Donuts

    At the comedy club tonight, I liked hearing some new jokes including one by the 'Bathtub comic' about a squirrel getting fat from Dunkin Donuts. The 'Extra murder' comic was the show closer, I liked his jokes about payphones, phone books, and trying to kill a bat. I gave out a few business cards when comedian friends said they were interested in reading the blog. The 'Auto-correct' comic said she reads regularly. She seemed pleased to hear her name is after one of her jokes. So I may have the pleasant problem of more reading as they want to find out if I am writing about them.
   It was nice to make it to the club on time tonight despite staying late to try to get more work done. I changed my strategy to compensate. I had made it too late a few times this winter and I wanted to avoid this again if at all possible. It helps how I wasn't home for long after stepping off the bus. It makes a world of difference when I decided to wait on looking at email and postal mail until after the show. There was a bumper crop of postal mail, helped by getting 6 E-bay orders. Four were first day covers, the others were postcards.    

I'm Just Me, Charley Pride

    Recently I heard a song I really liked, called 'I'm Just Me' by Charley Pride. I think my reason for liking it is largely linked to needing to search for who I am for a while and finding it, and as a result finally feeling comfortable with who I am. It was a number one it in 1971, according to Wikipedia, and I understand why based on the lyrics. Nothing more or less, not the worst or the best. It fits well with me often saying what you see is what you get. I liked finding it on Youtube after hearing it on my car radio, and one commenter said he was proud to have seen Charley in concert twice. I have seen him once, in 2012 at a casino. When it was played on the radio the D.J. did say Charley was on tour again, he still tours even though he has reached what is retirement age for many. But as I have said before, it is what they know, what else are they going to do?
    I did listen to a friend's radio show this morning, and I knew the guests as well. Subjects covered were Twitter, an accidental shooting in Texas, Obama's options on the Crimea ordeal, and the search for a male body part in Great Britain.
   I stayed in for a while, getting baseball cards into binders. Of the pack of 100 I just bought this weekend, just 5 were destroyed so it is good how I don't get many duplicates. Then it was on to doing laundry, and I noticed I needed another shirt replaced. So I went to J.C. Penney at Rosedale Mall in Roseville and used the gift cards sent by family for my recent birthday. I liked seeing the sales associate had them wrapped in the shopping bag while still on the hangers. This made them easier to get home as it was like picking them up from a dry cleaner. I likely would have waited if it was just one, but with two I think of needing something to wear every day at the office. I like it when I just have to do laundry every 3 weeks, so it means having 3 weeks worth of shirts. I finished the book
'Nickel and Dimed' by Barbara Ehrenreich when I got home after reading more of it while doing laundry. After watching a Simpsons episode about gangs at a theme park, and then eating at Taco Bell, I watched an episode of the Bob Newhart Show from the DVD I bought at Target this weekend. It was when Bob spoke at career day at his wife's class. 

Monuments Men Movie

    I went to see the movie 'Monuments Men' at the AMC theater in Roseville. I fell asleep for a little while in the afternoon but made it to the evening showing. Most notable scenes for me both involved the Bill Murray character. One of these was when a record from his family was played during the Battle of the Bulge, it was 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas'. The other was when he needed to see a dentist and the dentist was too distracted, talking about other subjects. It should come as no surprise how I liked some of the music in it as I often write about music, though it was just one of three songs listed in the credits. There was plenty for me to like about this movie, starting with the all-star cast. Not only was George Clooney in the lead role, but it also Matt Damon, of course
Bill Murray, and John Goodman. I stay to watch the closing credits and I saw how Clooney also directed, and his dad, Nick, had a small role in it as an older version of himself. As a history major I liked seeing a movie done about historical preservation, as this mission was about getting art back that the Nazis stole.   
    This was a full day for me, starting off with wanting to get plenty of errand running done. I first washed out bottles and cans for recycling, but had to stop since I didn't have soap for the dishes. So I went to Walgreen and got dish soap along with a few other things. When I was finished I got a box of Girl Scout cookies as somebody was selling them outside of the store. I just kept going, by doing groceries as well. One employee said he didn't expect to see me so early, and I said I already had my shoes and coat on so I decided to continue my errand running. Then in the afternoon I went to a comedian friend's birthday party. Nothing unusual there, but it was at a roller skating rink in St. Louis Park and I hadn't been skating in years. The things I do for comedian friends, but comedy has given me so much. Thankfully it went fine, I didn't fall at all. At one point I stopped and was asked if I was all right. I was advised not to look down, and I said it was easier said than done. It was nice to step out of my comfort zone. I did see the guest of honor and his wife there, the 'Bathtub comic', since I could speak with them more at length than one can at a comedy show. 
    I like how music is everywhere. So many good songs I heard today while out and about. At the grocery store it was 'Someday Someway' by Marshall Crenshaw, and 'It's My Life' by No Doubt. While driving back from the movie it was 'Insane in the brain' by Cypress Hill, a reminder of a longtime friend who told me it was his vacuum cleaning song in college. It was also in a Simpsons episode. I am watching 'Life to the Max' and there was just a passenger train feature and I liked hearing a song that said take a train, the C and O, B and O, Santa Fe. Also recently, it was 'Follow your heart' by Brett Dennen, a reminder of visiting Chicago last August. I decided to tone it down on the finger pointing during 'It's My Life' but it is an emotional song for me. I do the finger pointing during the part when 'It's my life, don't you forget' is said, as I have had to say it to some people before, especially family.
   The errand running continued after the movie, as I stopped at the Target near the theater. I picked up more plastic sheets, this time for baseball cards and business cards. Earlier at Walgreen it was sheet protectors for full 8 1/2 by 11 pages. I wanted to get a photo album for postcards but I am picky as some postcards will not fit in all albums. I got a DVD after checking the music and movies section, it was season one of the Bob Newhart Show, his sitcom from the 1970s were he played a Chicago psychologist.   

Chili Dog Billboard

    I went to the comedy club tonight, but didn't see the chili dog billboard across the street like I typically do. It depicted a big mouth ready to eat a chili dog.
   There were plenty of notable comics and jokes tonight. I was doing my best to remember all of them during the show as I had no pen and paper with me. So I wrote them down right away after getting back from the club. The sub teacher did one about his lady hounding him for a ring, even if just a promise ring. I laughed really hard at this one, and I heard somebody say 'Go on stage' about it. A newer comic is doing a joke about the server at a restaurant, Perkins as I recall, stating Mr. Pibb is one of the drinks available. So now this will be the 'Mr. Pibb' comic. The 'Bus fare comic' got my business card before the show as I said this is his name on the blog. It is inspired by his joke were he says he looks more like bus fare than a million bucks. I liked his joke about being an orphan but didn't tap-dance like Annie. The ladies were representing tonight as well, the IED/IUD comic did one about a party were each person represents a nation. The 'Hillary look-alike' did one about how animal adoption would be more popular if  they had a 'Sex sells' attitude like most other places- in this case say 'Divorce for a horse'. The 'Tetris comic' did one about boat names. The 'Bathtub comic' did one about snapping turtles. The show closer, the 'Happy meal comic', did one about how his mom died, but she didn't. He did plenty of variations on the same joke to get crowd reaction.
    I found an online article stating Quiznos, the sandwich chain store, just filed for bankruptcy. This happened just days after Sbarro, the pizza place, filed. I have eaten at both places, but not too often lately.
   I didn't want to stay late to get caught up on work again, so I decided a few letters will wait over the weekend. When I approved my time card it said I had just over an our of overtime for the week.     

Desire Trumps Ability

   While riding the bus this morning, I heard a man tell a woman how desire trumps ability. I have said many times before how you can't coach desire- either you have it or you don't. But I didn't entirely agree with him even though I didn't say so, I just listened. Sometimes ability is more important, as we tend to enjoy more what we are good at. I would say 'I need more information' as I think it depends on the situation as to which one is more important.
   I stayed a few minutes late at work to get the letters caught up. I don't like doing this but it almost feels like I have no choice. I still made it home in time to watch 2 episodes of 'Big Bang Theory'. The syndicated rerun was the one where the gang went to the same conference and bickered over personal matters disguised as science. Howard felt threatened by meeting Bernadette's ex. The prime time episode was another one with Raj being the moderator of a game that most of the gang played, this time a murder mystery. Howard went with Sheldon back to Texas to visit Sheldon's mom.    
    I placed some more E-bay orders, four in all, and all were first day covers from Chicagoland. Th9s included the mail order (Montgomery Ward) centennial, Ameripex Stamp Expo, Columbian Stamp Expo, along with Science and Industry- the 50th anniversary of the S and I Museum. It was nice to get caught up on paperwork after going to Chris and Rob's to use a birthday coupon, half off a pizza. I had one with mushrooms and Italian sausage. Some of the paperwork was looking at online articles I had printed and trying to do some event planning for later this year, like attending baseball games in the summer.

I Don't Feel Like Dancing

    We did Wii dancing at the end of the workday, and one of the songs we danced to was 'I don't feel like dancing'. As I recall the video showed the dancer coming out of an igloo. It's another song I heard for the first time due to this event. Funny how a dance song has such a title.

     I was onstage at the comedy club tonight, and I tried some new jokes. One was about seeing a hockey game outside Minnesota- when I was in suburban Chicago. The Wisconsin couple was right before me, and the 'Tetris comic' was right after me. My 'Bestie' was near the end, doing the 'Chivalry is dead' joke along with considering dating other women. I like how he does voice impressions in both, he is good at them. The wife in the Wisconsin couple did one about firing warning shots. Before I went onstage I said they were a tough act to follow, though I have had to follow them before. In many ways it is a thrill just to share the stage with so much talent.

   I did lunch with a colleague but it was shortened as she was on a long call, a password reset. She paid for my sandwich, saying it was a birthday present. It was very nice of her. She is often referred to as 'The perky girl'.

   Another billing cycle just began for Bill Me Later, so I just placed some more E-bay orders. Three of them are World's Fair postcards, the fourth was a Maytag photo.

   I just found out last week's date is another 'One and done'. I was stunned as I seemed to hit all of the right chords this time. But I have already learned how it doesn't mean everything.  

Jammed Paper Shredder

   I run my paper shredder fairly often to get rid of junk mail, just about every day I get mail. Today it jammed a little and I knew well enough to unplug it before working on the jam. I like how it still works as I use it often, though it doesn't take long to go through what I want to shred. Sometimes I use it so much that it shuts off by itself and I must wait for a little while to use it again. When this happens, a rare event, I leave it alone until the next day.
   I got a message from Youtube about another version of 'Music Box Dancer'. I do like the song, but it was odd. First time I had a response to a comment I left on this site. What I said was it reminded me of a furniture store ad in Des Moines, Iowa, called Homemakers Plaza. The song was used in the ad. But for a while I didn't know the title since it is instrumental.
   I finally responded to all of my birthday wishes, there were about 40. Since I don't get many postings on Facebook, I like all of the attention I get on my birthday. So I like to let all of them know
I really like how they take the time to send birthday wishes. At the comedy club tonight, the 'Extra murder' comic was show closer.

Puddles Everywhere

    The thaw has finally happened. Snow is melting and puddles are everywhere. So it is harder to negotiate the sidewalks but I have the proper footwear, still using the winter boots for walking to and from the bus.
    I was tired in the afternoon, so I really had to push myself to do the 11 letters waiting. I completed 10, another has to wait since I need to re-do it, small omission in the address. When I had the time I looked up what I could find online about buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Mason City, Iowa. I saw the road sign for the tour this weekend, now I am trying to figure out the logistics. The one tour on the sign is of a house, a separate tour is of a hotel he designed.
   I did go to the comedy club tonight, but left early as there still were some things to get caught up on from over the weekend. One of these was send a thank-you message to the classmate who sent the basketball game tickets. Another was getting more groceries to make it through the week. I arrived about 10 minutes before the grocery store closed for the night. Also notable was how two more birthday cards arrived.
      At the comedy club, the Wisconsin couple was the leadoff act of the night. They did their gymnastic act and some 'Knock Knock' jokes about the Winter Olympic Games. The school bouncer comic followed them and started off by saying they were a tough act to follow. The Yemen native did the one about teaching Arabic to a classmate. I said before the show how I like this one. The 'Bathtub comic' did one about his wife's pet rat. The 'Tetris comic' did one about his outfits, and being average looking. The 'Extra murder' comic did one about his longtime friend being in charge of a fire department.   

Headlights, Eminem And Nate Ruess

   As usual, there was plenty of music I listened to today on the drive back from Iowa City. One of the notable songs I heard on the radio was 'Headlights' by Eminem and Nate Ruess, the Fun front-man. I had heard it a few times recently but hadn't bothered to look up the title. It is another song about Eminem's mom, but a different tone than the others. I like how he is so honest in is songs. I listened to the other 2 CDs today that I brought, after listening to the Nelly CD the previous day, 6 Derrty hits. One was Play by Brad Paisley, the guitar album. I liked all of the guest stars on it like Buck Owens and Andy Griffith. My ex might be pleased that I finally bought one of his CDs. Then there is Nimrod by green Day. It has Nice guys Finish Last, and Time Of Your Life. Other notables on the radio were Talk Dirty To Me by Poison, a reminder of being at a class reunion. And I heard Lorde multiple times, mostly Team but also heard Royals, her earlier song, once. And there was This Love by Maroon 5, a reminder of being laid off in suburban Chicago but now it is a pleasant reminder of the new life I acquired after it.
   I called my dad when I got back, and said I finally heard about a Hy-Vee store to open in the Twin Cities, in New Hope. He said he has seen the war movie Monuments Men, I haven't yet. And he spoke of going to the state basketball tournament soon, since his school is going to it.     

16 Bottles

    I hadn't done dishes and recycling in a little while due to being out of town last weekend. I did them this morning before picking up a rental car for the drive to Iowa City today. I washed out 16 bottles, and did all of the dishes as well. The recycle bag was full, otherwise I would have done the 6 soup cans and one juice can with it. I still took care of the lion's share. There is not much left to do before heading out. It will be nice to see the Iowa Hawkeye basketball game vs. Illinois.
    I made more stops than I wanted to, but one of them was to take off my coat as I was getting warm in the car. it was the second stop, the first was at an ATM I frequent. Ten the third was at Albert Lea were I had a small Pizza Hut pizza. The final one was near Cedar Falls, were I called my college roommate to say I was about 90 minutes away. I expected to arrive around 5pm, and I did shortly after this time. It was a 7:30 start so I arrived well before the game began. I said I was fine with ordering pizza as long as it wasn't from the Hut. Iowa looked good for a while, leading by 5 at the half, but lost by 3. The thing I kept saying was they weren't pulling down the rebounds. And there was no sense of urgency to shoot the ball when trailing late. I like how my classmate got me more than just game tickets, but also a parking pass as I was able to park near the arena about a block away. But the traffic after the game didn't move quickly at all. I got a program for $2, it mainly consists of the rosters and season schedule for both teams.           

Memoirs Of A Welfare Queen

     I went to see the play 'Memoirs of a Welfare Queen' tonight in Minneapolis at Bryant Lake Bowl theater. First time at this venue. I had wanted to see the play for a while, as it was a part of Fringe Festival in August, but was out of town then. Originally I said when I planned to attend how I knew the lead actress indirectly through doing comedy, and this is true. But this is a one-woman show. I did share my thoughts on Facebook after getting back from the show, where I got the invite. It is a play about how she had to go onto welfare after 'Baby daddy' dumped her. She finds a way to get off welfare, and she gives credit to friends and family for helping out. I said she hit many of the right chords, as I could relate to things like an upbringing of fear and shame, along with judgey church people. I could tell at times how the material was difficult for her since it was personal, as she paused a few times. But I said I understood just fine as I often pick some painful subjects when I tell jokes, being a fellow performer, subjects like dating relationships and family. She is real good at her craft, and I said I would consider any further Facebook invites for upcoming shows as I may do comedy but I like theater as well. It proves why I like biographies- it was honest and passionate. 
      Since I wanted to be on time for the play, I wasn't home for long tonight after work. I went there before I had even checked any emails, knowing I likely had been inundated with birthday wishes on Facebook. Believe me, I sure was. There were 86 messages waiting when I logged in, and this is twice the typical volume. The venue is close to a Popeye's chicken that I've eaten at before, so I ate at Popeye's tonight. Usually I am in the area to see a movie at the Lagoon.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee

    I had a first date in the evening. We met at a café in Minneapolis near the university, and I am in the area every so often. The neighborhood is known as Dinkytown. I had a pumpkin spice coffee, and so did my date. It went well, we spoke for nearly two hours, until I needed to move my car as I only paid for that long at a meter. We knew some of the same comics. I called a college roommate after I got back and said it went well as I really wanted to share the news with someone. We didn't speak for long, he said he had to take care of kids who got out of bed. So I didn't mind having to skip watching 'Big Bang Theory' tonight as I had a real good time.
   It was still busy at work today, I did nearly 20 letters and I am nearly caught up again. I left two as they were partial account numbers, hard to find. Do the easiest ones first, like they say on exams.
   I saw on Facebook how a fellow comic was on Conan O'Brien, and I found the video clip. It was the Oklahoma native, he did his 'Corn and green beans' joke. It was actually a day earlier, but I am not on this site every day.    

Sport Clips Sweepstakes

      I needed a haircut tonight since I have a date soon. I made it to the Sport Clips in Eagan on Promenade and got an entry for their 'MVP moment maker' sweepstakes. I entered the code from the scratch ticket, not an instant winner. But I still entered their drawing. I watched some of the state high school hockey tournament while there as it was on one of the nearby TV monitors.
     It was my first day back at work after two days off. It bothered me that some of my work wasn't done in my absence, the letters. I did 17 of them, a colleague did 7. There are 6 remaining. Another notable thing was finally finding the other dryer sheet from doing laundry. Much like before, it was stuck in one of my shirts, the one I was wearing today.
    At the comedy club tonight, the 'Extra murder' comic did jokes about the saddest petting zoo, and having a Nike jump rope. The Tetris comic did one about home appliances having Internet. The dental assistant booed the school bouncer comic, had to ask why. I wondered if it was just a 'Manufactured rivalry'. The Kentucky native did some stage time near the end, first time I had seen him in a while. He said he had been at plenty of corporate gigs, not too many open-mics. He had a joke about being in a strict family in terms of religion, and hearing rap music like Eminem for the first time in college in Louisville. There was more comfortable seating added, bench seats, in the back.

Generic Pepto-Bismol

     It was a rough day for me. It started off with diarrhea, and in spite of this I still wanted to go to the Capitol and meet who represents me as the legislature is in session at this time. It became academic about two hours later when I threw up after trying to eat something, and I decided not to go. I went to a CVS pharmacy and got a generic version of Pepto-Bismol, or actually the store brand of it. I threw up again when I got home with the medicine, then I slept for a while and felt better. I didn't feel like eating anything for a while, and didn't until I had some peanut butter crackers on the way to the comedy club. I figured this and drinking Sprite- couldn't find 7up- would be best for my upset stomach. I had to say no beer tonight when I arrived. A few people did say hi to me, but I felt like I had to tell them I was still ill. I'm still not great but better than I was. I said it would take more than an upset stomach to keep me away from the comedy club.
    The D.C. native was the show closer, and I said to myself 'B.S.' like my dad would say when he told people the storyline to the Oscar-winning movie 'Dallas Buyers Club'. He did make it funny when he made it a Wesley Snipes joke, about trying to raise money to get Wesley out of jail, who was in jail for tax evasion. Naturally his joke about nausea resonated with me tonight, when he was asked in detox what his nausea felt like on a scale of 1 to 7. He said it's a binary thing, either you feel it or you don't. The school bouncer comic did jokes about Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and the O.J. Simpson case. The Wisconsin couple, now based in L.A., were at my table. The wife did one about being 'Pregnant with rage', sounded like what her therapist said. The husband did one about online comments, and it sounded like self-promotion of his CD.

Gameworks In Schaumburg

      I liked how there wasn't much on my schedule today, the most important thing was to be on the flight in the afternoon. I wanted to use the tickets I had from Gameworks in Schaumburg, likely from when I lived in the area. There were seven and I decided to play some skeeball, ended up with eight more. I got a little Frisbee with the 15 tickets. It looks like somebody could turn it over and use it as a drink coaster. Before this I had a postcard I wrote to myself mailed from the Des Plaines post office. I got lunch at a Speedway convenience store. Then it was on to get the rental car returned and back to the airport. The flight was delayed 30 minutes.
   I made it to the comedy club, even though I hadn't been home for long. I went through postal mail and email for an hour, then I left. The 'IED/IUD' comic did bring out this joke, after trying to do ones about being on jury duty. The 'Extra murder' comic did the one about the North Dakota billboard- arrive a guest, leave a legend. He said he had just done some shows there this weekend. The 'Bathtub comic' did one about a frozen bag of poop at his home, his wife was responsible for it. One comic, the Maryland native, asked me if I was all right. I said I was tired and that was all. I was woke up by the fire alarm at my hotel this morning. I opened my door, and a few others on my floor did as well. I saw no one leaving so I decided to go back to bed. When I checked out the desk clerk apologized, saying somebody had burned their continental breakfast.

World's Fair Exhibit, Field Museum

       I went to the World's Fair exhibit at the Field Museum today. As usual, I learned something when I visit a museum. It was how the museum was at the World's Fair site, south of there, but moved and now the Science and Industry Museum is now there, the former Fine Arts Building.
I bought a book of postcards, and got a few pictures.
     I also made it to the Chicago Wolves hockey game in the afternoon, they beat the Iowa Wild 4-0. No goals in the 3rd. Wolves scored at start and end of 1st, start and middle of 2nd. No real souvenirs bought this time. I picked up a pocket schedule, got a starting lineup, and a free player photo as it was Little Debbie Sunday. So it had a coupon attached. I liked having Connie's Pizza at the game and some popcorn, but it was a big box so I ate just half of it and took the rest with me. And I got a souvenir drinking cup, honoring 20 seasons.
   When I was driving back from the Rosemont CTA stop in the evening, I had to wait for a train at Mt. Prospect Road. This was familiar from living in the area. I watched some of the movie '8-Mile' on TV. And of course there was music everywhere to remember this time. I wrote down 7 songs in particular. Friends With The Monster, Eminem and Rihanna. Summertime Sadness, Lana Del Rey. Applause, Lady Gaga. Party in the USA- Hanna Montana/Miley Cyrus. This Love, Maroon 5. Team, Lorde. I'm Yours, Jason Mraz. Lorde is being played a lot right now. Some of these I heard at the Wolves game, like Applause. Others were on the car radio. But I like some there reminding me of certain events in my life, This Love always reminds me of the transition, a rebirth of sorts which eventually happened in the Twin Cities. I'm Yours, reminding me of starting comedy. Thankfully most music helps recall positive memories. It's nice how some help with living there, since they are far enough back. And I do want to remember the positive when I visit my old haunts annually. Because they should not, and do not, haunt me.
    I like how this hotel has a continental breakfast, I had Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes this morning. Not every hotel I stay at has one. The internet service leaves a lot to be desired, but I found a FedEx Office in Park Ridge for a few minutes to take care of online needs. 

Improv Comedy Club, Schaumburg

        I flew into Chicago O'Hare Airport in the early afternoon for a weekend visit. After getting my rental car and checking into the Howard Johnson in Elk Grove Village I had a massage therapy appointment at Heavenly Massage in Mt. Prospect near the mall. It is good for my back. In the evening I went to see a comedy show at the Improv in Schaumburg. It is inside Woodfield Mall. I once worked near this mall. It was nice to see it again. At first I planned on seeing just one show, but the headliner did crowd rap with me, despite me being all the way in the back next to the bar. I was invited back for the second show, and got in free. I was in somebody's 'selfie' and found out me and the feature comic knew some of the same people. It snowed a lot so I brushed off the car and then

was on my way. I also made it to the first McDonald's in Des Plaines and had a shamrock shake. I like looking at the artifacts there. I found some postcards at the Gift Depot, will send one to myself.

I watched a little of some movies on cable, In the Line of Fire was on WGN and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was on another network, for Oscars weekend.