2 Shows At Bowling Alleys

    I went to 2 shows tonight in Minneapolis, at 2 different bowling alleys. The first was a play at Bryant Lake Bowl in Uptown, I had been there before and recalled the art in the bathroom. The front-woman from the Dirty Curls sent a Facebook invite as she was the director. It was about a haunted house, or 'Manor'. There were plenty of ghost jokes in it, especially from 'Ghostbusters'. At one point all four of the Busters names were mentioned as names of various gadgets. I knew one of the actors in it, from the comedy circuit. After the show I went to a nearby Super-America and got a photo of a woman wearing platform shoes. I kind of expected outfits like this on Halloween.
    The second show was live music, a place I had bowled at two weeks earlier. It was nice to see the rap/comedy group Valley Meadows perform again, much like at the recent 10K Laughs Festival. I got photos of them and of the Dirty Curls. This was another Facebook invite. I also liked seeing one couple in 'Wayne and Garth'- from 'Wayne's World'- costumes. I did get the Dirty Curls CD, but it was a bit of a struggle as I needed to get to an ATM but the one at the bowling alley didn't work. So I went to a Holiday station, south on Hiawatha, as they had a US Bank ATM. The Dirty Curls had a lineup change, now the red-faced comic is a guitar player.     

Allure Magazine, Marilyn Monroe

     After watching the prime time episode of 'Big Bang Theory' tonight I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. One of the items I picked up and put in a plastic shopping bag-since it was trash- was a copy of Allure magazine. I saw what looked like Marilyn Monroe on one page, apparently as an ad. I tried to find the cover, but after flipping through it I couldn't but it said it was Allure magazine in a corner of the page. Also notable among the trash was a hubcap from a Ford car. Then there was cardboard boxes, one was for Rainbow apples from Washington State and the other was Millville. The latter is a brand name from the Aldi grocery store if I am not mistaken. As usual, I liked the exercise I get from the walk, as well as clearing my mind and the photos. The final one I got was from the post office, some of their vehicles. I had to step back some as being at night the eagle logo sticker had too much glare on it. I made it back home shortly after 'Sherlock Holmes' (aka 'Elementary') had started. The 'Big Bang' episode made me laugh, as it was about a man who was interested in Penny and has plenty of sci-fi collectibles that the guys like. They are locked inside by the man, but could care less as they enjoy all of the video games and such. The syndicated rerun was about Sheldon refusing to go to a family event with Amy Farrah Fowler. It led to Penny coaching Amy on how to make a scene.
   I had a weird internet dating experience. One match asked me if I had cheated before, I responded by saying it was too soon to ask, as we hadn't met yet. I asked the same question, the answer was no. My dodging of the question 'Spoke volumes' about me, according to my match. I didn't take kindly to it, and promptly closed the match. I shared this on Facebook, saying I had hundreds of matches previously and it was the first time I got the question. I saw it as a no-win situation as if I said no, I run the risk of my match not believing me. I did get some responses right away after posting. One was from the resistable comic. It said that says more about the match than me, there was likely some unresolved issues. I do have a coffee date lined up with another match this weekend now.
   I liked being able to get caught up with various things I had written down. One was reading an article that Mason City sent to me about his favorite comedy albums. I had to admit how I knew just one of the five, it was Mike Birbiglia as he was in the movie 'Sleepwalk with me'. Another item was liking a page on Facebook, the Ramsey County haunted house or 'Fright farm'. I did this so I could find my photo from visiting the haunted house nearly a week ago. I tagged it and shared it on my own news feed. Still another item on my list was looking up some concert information after seeing an email in my Hotmail account. It was for Anna Nalick, but I found out the concert is on a weeknight in November and not that close to the Twin Cities. It will be in Marshfield, WI, which is about 160 miles away. I might enjoy the experience of writing about it, but it is hard to justify the use of limited resources to go there.
   At work the political science guy spoke in favor of labor unions, but I had to remind him of how we are not unionized. As a whole, I haven't heard of many cases where office workers are unionized. He also got disgusted about having to take a customer service call where the caller wanted to talk about things like the weather, which had nothing to do with the business at hand.
   The United Way campaign continues at the office. Today there was a 'Garage sale' but much of it was items the company had given us before, so being asked to pay for them in the name of charity was a hard sell for me. This included office- appropriate shirts, at one point they were called 'Spirit wear'. There was also books, but I prefer reference books and most of them were novels. There was even pairs of socks with the company logo on them. I haven't bid on anything yet at the silent auction. One item up for bid was a pink teddy bear, nobody has bid on it yet. Two items just added were 9-hole rounds of golf. I may want to bid on it, provided the price doesn't go too high. Again, it would be nice to have the experience as it is something to write about.

Comet Candy, Erbert Gerbert

    I had a Comet Candy sandwich from Erbert Gerbert, not the first time where the boss has bought us sandwiches. It is ham and roast beef. Normally I go there on a Friday and get a Boney Billy, a turkey sandwich. I liked this one, and based on searches online there are other meanings or uses for this term that I will have to look at further. Also saw 'Bar', 'Mold', and 'Canada'.
   I let the 'Extra murder' comic know on facebook about the United Way fundraising campaign at my office this week, since a silent auction item reminded me of one of his jokes. It was the Rabbit corkscrew, and his joke is about the 'Other rabbit tool', as I recall it is a sex toy. He hasn't done this joke in a while. I also spoke of it to Mason City when I was at the comedy club tonight. I said I have learned a lot about life by doing comedy, things I know full well I wouldn't have heard about otherwise. Another notable thing was letting the Big Dog know on Facebook about how there is a 'Translator' for me. I said there is about 5 typical responses that one gets out of me when I hear jokes.
   At Wii dancing we danced to various songs. This included 'SOS' by Rihanna, and the Monster Mash. One was by Kesha, as I recall it was 'Tick Tock' since a mention was made of Mick Jagger. 
Another was 'Walk like an Egyptian' by the Bangles. I may have found the version of 'Wild World' I heard on the radio from Monday, It seems to be the one by Marc Cohn. I am familiar with his song 'Walking in Memphis'. It reminds me of my college roommate, who once lived there, and this was why I made a visit there.
    At the comedy club tonight, The Crow was MC. He did the one about the 'Dear Alcohol' love letter. The lunch lady did one about being in charge of 23, and serving 3200. We are hiring, and the First Lady went after fat kids. She is afraid of losing her job due to salt, and she spoke of state fair food as well. Laundry did ones about quicksand, zombies, and roundabouts. Perkins did one about women with tattoos. They're not wine. Others were about a flashlight at an art museum, and a kid stuck in an axle, some reference to his sister. He finished with a goat like Frankenstein, and burned alive in a windmill. Apron did one about somebody taking his parking spot. Others were a Planet of the Apes reference, unfriended on Facebook, Menards, and I should be the coach. The godmother did ones about a bucket list, and buying a Jeep, taking it on a road trip to Colorado. She continued with Walgreen BBQ items, honoring a dead parent, doctors without egos, and internet pics about butt rashes. The finishers were dead people clothes at Goodwill, perfume causing headaches, and the mailman with latex gloves. A comic I haven't written about much before did one about dating a guy with just one spoon. You had me at pizza rolls, and he's a feminist- she pays for everything. She was disappointed about stealing a paper and seeing no cigarette, weed, or Taco Bell coupons. Mason City did one about his deaf dog, but he's smart. We could change his name to Spider-Man, or Mr. Belvedere. He comes to you if he feels like it, and bath salts are out of control. He turns left-like NASCAR- and has hookworm. When he saw 'ET', there were bats and fallen bricks in the movie theater. They're not aliens, but homeless people by the railroad tracks. Rut-roh did one about his feet smelling like cheese he can't afford. Others were about chess with Bob Seger, a mulligan on a real handshake, and Sarah Jessica Parker's face- beating a dead horse. This was followed by Smash Mouth and Shrek, and crack is vegan. The Wisconsin girl did one about wine in a box with a handle. It looked like 2 briefcases, the other was Rotisserie chicken. Others were about Dress Barn and Fleet Farm for fashion items, and it's the best time to be alive. There was the Sunday Fun-day thing, Walgreen canceled my Prozac, and emotional baggage- a Harlequin Romance. This was followed by a man in Southern Comfort breath, and wouldn't tell her about puberty, then not reading the right source material. A comic that does jokes about having her mother-in-law from Argentina do the cooking and cleaning did one about get you skinny, get you fat. She is a personal trainer, but could also be a pizza chef. The Wisconsin man did one about erectile dysfunction ads. Others were about a flight to Las Vegas, and pilots don't like suggestions. This was followed by starfish and jester hat, and a case of the 'dumpy frumpies'. The bartender did ones about 'taco-cat', tater tots, and his lady's coupon book being re-gifted. The show closer was Kentucky. He did one about an injured ankle, and urgent care. Did you eat your banana? This was followed by eating at Taco Bell, and a fish swimming into a wall.

Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show

     I had the day off to attend a meeting at another facility. Before departing I decided to watch a DVD I had bought recently, 'Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show'. He toured with 4 comics, 30 cities in 30 days. I liked this comedy documentary. Some cities I had been to before, others I haven't. I would like to see Austin, TX, and Nashville, TN. It was great to see interviews with the families of the comics as well. It covered the craft well, even if it had more footage off-stage than on-stage I know we need to see more than just telling jokes. The tour was from 2005, and it was a part of the video to speak of Hurricane Rita, which led to some shows being canceled on the Gulf coast. Then at other shows, free tickets were given to evacuees living in a state park. I sure got my money's worth from watching it, since it was just $2 after discounts at a liquidation sale.
    The meeting was in Eden Prairie, and I had some time before it began where I was able to go get pictures at the Vikings practice facility, known as Winter Park. I knew well enough to be quick about it, move on before anyone has the chance to say 'You don't belong here'. There were some wrap sandwiches at this meeting, and this was the first time I did the mentoring program orientation in person. Usually I just dial in, and some did do this but hard to know how many. I got more pictures at this facility, including of their big cafeteria. They don't allow photos at my office, so I liked being able to take some while there. I was home for a little while, then left again to go see a pumpkin farm in Ham Lake. I liked seeing their Charlie Brown and Snoopy statues, first visit there in two years. The owner claims to remember me from a previous visit, and wondered what happened with my relationship. This surprised me. It was odd that he said he was willing to sell the apple or pumpkin pies for $10 instead of $12. This was in response to me saying it seemed to be kind of steep for a pie, and I asked if there was half-pies available. I turned him down as I finally noticed they were 'Take and bake', and I prefer a 'Ready to eat' pie. I got some cheddar cheese popcorn for $3 instead. On my way back I got more photos from the Saints baseball stadium. I wanted to get pictures of the pavement art, there was 27 separate panels. After checking email at home, it was off to the comedy club. The big dog showed me a sketch I am in on his phone. I liked it, this continues the soap opera theme from before.
    At the comedy club tonight, a comic I recall having somebody play 'small world after all' was MC. Blind Side did one about a Robert DeNiro impression by his lady. Others were about a pact with a single friend, and Shaq/Fat Albert. He is adopted and knows what he is worth. The sweater vest is not fashionable. Mason City did one about his deaf dog. He was running crazy, and bath salts. It is a NASCAR dog, only goes left, and it has hookworm. Apron did one about somebody taking his parking spot. There was a Planet of the Apes reference, and Menards. Fantasia did one about girls liking jerks. Another was 'do it like you're angry'. Ding Dong did one about an easy-bake crematorium, and a drive by clowning. Big dog did one about Christian Mingle. He saw a dead body, and did one about taking things for granted, as well as his dad's sport jackets. He questioned 'honor her?' in marriage vows. His lady gets quiet when mad, and pronounced the word 'charade' as 'sha-rod'. Mr. Pibb did one about knowing 13 Emilys. Another was about a weird family, all the same name. This was followed by doing something every day that scares you, and having a cop tied up in the trunk. People fear clowns and commitment. Others were about gunshot noises in rap music, just stating the facts, and an instructor offering pizza and beer after being absent. He was pretend reading Harry Potter, why not On The Road? Final story was about wanting to kiss 3 girls at a party, but had to kiss each other first.

Wild World, Cat Stevens

     I was driving over to the comedy club tonight and heard the song 'Wild World' and it is still a mystery as to which artist it was. I know full well it wasn't the original, by Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam. It was on radio station 106.3, out of River Falls, WI. I listened to five other versions from Youtube, and none of them seemed to be it. This includes: Mr. Big, Skins, Maxi Priest, Joanna Wang, James Blunt. I let Mason City know about this and he suggested some other artists, so now I have more ideas. I am good at finding many things, and it can eat at me when I can't find something.
   I will be adding another comic to my 'Ring of Honor', the nursing home employee. I decided to do a re-take with Turtle Check as there was just too much glare from my glasses and I had a hard time looking at it and liking it on Facebook.
   At work they had little cinnamon rolls this morning for the kickoff of the weeklong United Way campaign. The silent auction items were out by the guard station by the end of the day. We were given a little glass container as well.
    At the comedy club tonight, the bartender did ones about 'taco-cat', Nebraska, and 'guns and drugs'. Ragu did one about a roller coaster. Blind Side did one about the Simpsons, and 'Fat Albert and Shaq'. The crow did ones about his jacket, weed, cut teeth/wrist, and hipsters. IED/IUD did one about Obamacare. The apron comic did one about a restroom key, and a German woman. The opera singer was wearing a Mt. Rushmore shirt, and did one about cougar bait. Laundry did one about Rusty Taco. Resistable did ones about a hipster roommate, talking about Nicki Minaj at Applebee's, and her air-bed. Turtle check did one about dating himself. School bouncer did one about Redbox. Mason City did one about his deaf dog, and bath salts. Maryland did ones about his condo, and yoga pants. The Wisconsin guy did ones about the Target clinic, and Cuba. Louisiana did one about Neosporin. Fever did one about 'are you old?' The bathtub comic was show closer, and did ones about a zoo lockdown, polar bears in Detroit, a clarinet, and banana bread.

Men, Women, Children Movie

      This afternoon I went to see the movie 'Men, women, children' at the Lagoon in Minneapolis. This is a Jason Reitman-directed movie, and I like the ones he does. As we know, readers, he directed 'Up in the Air', one of my three favorites. This one is much like his others- covering real world issues, this time social media. There were some big-name actors in it, I quickly recognized Adam Sandler and Dennis Haysbert. I know the latter as doing Allstate insurance commercials, and much earlier he was the Cuban baseball player, Pedro, in 'Major League'. This movie did lead to some emotions coming to the surface, like one high school girl in it constantly dealt with her mom, played by Jennifer Garner. The mom was controlling her internet and social media profiles, wanting all of her passwords. It led to the girl hating her for it, and this is when I said to myself how one must let a teenager be a teenager. The setting of the movie was Texas, eventually revealed to be Austin, the capital city and home of their flagship state university. I know Reitman has done a teen movie before, 'Juno', and proves to be good at covering this demographic. I was doing my best to follow the inter-relation of all of the characters, how the teens knew each other as well as the parents. I am the type that stays for the closing credits. I liked some of the music in it and one of the songs was 'Die young' by Kesha. I do have one of her CD's. I am no doubt more impressed with this one than 'Labor Day'. The message of the movie in my opinion seemed to be that there was too much social media in our lives, it has taken over. At times we need to still have in-person contact. When one high school kid met with a counselor, the term 'RL'- real life- was used for this reason.
    Aside from 'Social network', which was largely about the rise of Facebook. I don't think there have been many movies about social media. This is why I sing the praises of Jason Reitman as a director, somebody I have called a 'Latter-day Norman Lear' before because both tackle some real-world social issues when few others are willing to. There were some movies covered in the previews that interest me, one of these was about the early life of Abraham Lincoln. Another was about women in the military, it appeared to be Israel. Still another was about saving Paris from destruction at the end of World War 2, called 'Diplomacy'. But when I go see an art house movie at the Lagoon or a companion theater like the Uptown or Edina, I usually like the previews a lot as those are movies I really enjoy.
   This was a busy day for me. I went to shop some more at the Rainbow Foods liquidation sale in West St. Paul. I got 17 items this week instead of 19, and a few non-food items like batteries for my camera and tall kitchen trash bags. And there was a DVD, Vince Vaughn's Wild West comedy show. Now I need to find the time to watch it, and unsure when this will be when I live 'The manic life of a comedian'. Then eventually it was on to some orientation for being an actor at a haunted house soon, the Soap Factory in Minneapolis. After the movie I went to the Hexagon bar and did a comedy set, mostly new jokes including one about being in Iowa City recently. I had dealt with somebody who was condescending to me. After the show I checked voicemail on my cellphone and noticed my dad had called. I had meant to call before so of course I called when I had the time. He said I was invited to Thanksgiving in Des Moines, IA, but I will likely find another place for dinner right here in the Twin Cities like last year.

7 Head Shots

      I have been doing stand-up comedy for over 6 years now and I finally have head shots. The Alabama photographer offered times for it as a Facebook invite and I went to the 'Studio' in the early evening. I was trying to keep track of how many were done, my guess was more than 20. It was 34. After looking at all of them, I was sent 7 on Facebook and to my Hotmail account. I was asked if I had any lady comics in my 'Ring of honor', I said I did. I checked when I got home, and 10 of the 44 are lady comics. I think this is close to being representative of what is seen in the comedy circuit, about 1 in 4. We of course swapped stories about the people we knew, one of them being the big dog. The photographer will also be added, but it looks like she will not be number 50 in the 'Ring' but I am closing in on this number. Another comic had just showed up for head shots, somebody I don't know well. This is who did the photo for us. The 'Studio' was near North High School in Minneapolis, and I did get photos of the school while in the area. Then it was on to Bobby and Steve's to get a little Godfather's pizza. There were Halloween decorations up inside, so I got photos there as well. The final stop was at the comedy club for a pun show. The closer was the music group known as the Dirty Curls. It was part of the 10,000 laughs festival. It was the fourth show I had seen, and this was on the final night. It was a nice way for me to close out the festival. There was another show after it across town but I was getting tired, so I went home.
   I am watching an animated show, Golan the Insatiable, and I think it is the one I had heard about because the Wisconsin girl is one of the voices in it. One episode was about the tooth fairy, and the other about attending a funeral. Her character looks like a little goth girl.

Feed The Fear, Mini Donuts

     I went to the haunted house in Maplewood tonight. I got plenty of pictures, about a dozen. The first was the crowd in line behind me. Next was an actor, wearing a beret, a skeleton mask, and bib overalls. There were welcome signs right by the entrance, one was about a 'Low-scare day'. After I got out, there was mention of Facebook photos being available so I did one. There was a skeleton on a cross and two skulls displayed like a bust flanking the cross. I liked seeing a Maytag washing machine still as part of the haunted house inside. Near the Facebook photo area, there was a hearse and a coffin car driven by a skeleton. Then I saw a funhouse, a moonlight monster hunt, and 'Feed the fear'. This was a food stand selling mini donuts. There was a wagon ride to Aldrich Arena, but I didn't use it as I needed the exercise to and from my car. With the Facebook photos I was informed I can like the page for the haunted house and then tag myself when I find it.
   I am not on Twitter much, but I was tonight after seeing an entry from 2010 was read. I knew it was my 'Ohio friend' I had written about, now a journalist in Florida. I liked the metaphor I use in poetry, including this one. I called myself a 'Sad little puppy' locked up in a cage I had built for myself. Then this friend bought me and trained me into a winner. Or did I train myself? The imagery of the puppy works well, better than just saying 'Hiding behind a cloak of degradation', which is what I did for a while. But I like how I can work through things with my writing and comedy, since I am good at both and enjoy doing both. I wrote a lot about music in the entry, no surprise there. Even tonight I liked a song I heard on my car radio after the event, one memorable lyric was 'Rosemary'. I am thinking this may be an Interpol song. Besides the one sent to my 'Ohio friend', I also left one about seeing some of game 3 of the World Series, San Francisco vs. Kansas City. The Kansas City Royals won on the road to take a 2-1 lead. I also got a ticket ordered for a concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis next month, Lucinda Williams. I liked reading a Wall Street Journal article about her from September, and I will have to see what CDs of hers are available at Cheapo Records. Of course there is also Youtube. I used this site to find some Rihanna songs before her 2011 concert at Target Center.

New Hope Cinema Grill

   Tonight I went to the New Hope Cinema Grill for another festival show. The big dog served as MC, and I knew plenty of the contestants. The short film done by postage stamp won. The short films were inspired by actual jokes the comics had told. I liked how it wasn't hard at all to find the place, close to a major road. It was my first visit there, had meant to go there before. I liked all of the artwork on the wall depicting various movies, including Jack Nicholson in 'Chinatown'. I saw plenty of familiar faces, including the D.C. native who said 'your buddy is here', meaning the big dog. There was a game room near the front door but I didn't play any of the games. There was even some art on the wall in the bathroom. This was my third show of the festival and I plan on going to one more, this weekend. 
   The 19 items bought from Rainbow Foods over the weekend is now down to 10, and 8 of them are food items. I ate the Michelina's meal and the Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs. Both were in a microwaveable container.
   At work we watched the third and final segment of the food documentary, 'Forks Over Knives'. I didn't win any of the drawings for a copy of the movie, cookbook, or the juicer.

On Duty As House Manager

     Tonight I was on duty as house manager at the 10,000 laughs comedy festival. It was Punch-line Punch-out. At first I didn't see much of the show as I was taking my duties seriously. The main thing I did was help with seating people, strongly encourage them to sit in the front row but few did. The second row was way more popular. I had seen this kind of show before, as I recall at last year's festival. It looks like the kind of show I could excel at. It may have been just as appropriate to call me a 'Guide' as I answered questions like where the bathrooms were, and asked if they had been to the ticket office first. I saw that they had menus on their table and said a server should be with them shortly. Later on I did watch some of the show from the back. I was pleased that the big dog was show closer. This of course meant he was on when the votes were being counted. After the show I added the Netflix comic to my 'Ring of honor'. She was not performing tonight, but was in this show last night. Some of those who did perform tonight included Kentucky, the radio personality, laundry comic, and the Hillary Clinton look-alike. I did have my customary beer, but it was well before the show began. It looked like some of those who showed up expected to see the typical open-mic show.
Many of these people left after finding this out.
   I am moving right along on using up the items I bought at the Rainbow Foods liquidation sale over the weekend. Now it is down to 12, as I had another can of soup for lunch and then the frozen pizza for one in the evening. At work we did the Wii dancing near the end of the day, and the first song we danced to was 'Barbra Streisand' as I had heard it when at the comedy club the previous night.

Forks Over Knives Movie

  At midday at work we started watching a documentary called 'Forks over knives', studying health problems from dietary habits. We will watch it in 3 segments, 30 minutes at a time. When mention is made of fast food, I am lost when there is talk of Arthur Treacher's fish and chips since there aren't any locations near me in the Twin Cities. I am more familiar with Long John Silver, but I haven't eaten there much either.
    Tonight I went up a down escalator, hadn't done this in a while. I liked knowing I could still do it. I decided to do it since the up escalator was blocked off.
    At the comedy club tonight, bathtub was MC. He did jokes about anniversaries and mall walking. This was followed by hangman of your life, lines in sand, about a marriage proposal. He spoke of being on last comic standing, and the dog is not a rescue dog. But it does wear a life jacket. The godmother did ones about a bucket list, cleaning up leaves, and buying a Jeep- an expensive midlife crisis for her husband. This was followed by Mutual of Omaha, then Estes Park, and a mailman with latex gloves. A comic I call 'Brew' said being fired was like a breakup, and he dated a dumb girl. The former cop did ones about e-how, his mom, a fad diet, getting divorced, and sleep apnea. The D.C. native did ones about Hazelden, a Facebook message, and stealing dinner. Not sure what to call the next comic, though at the end I wrote Iggy (Azalea)  and Selena (Gomez) songs as those were playing as she entered and exited the stage. She did ones about anti-depressants, and sexual side effects. This was followed by hand held showerheads, and being obsessive compulsive and watching 'Mrs. Doubtfire'. She finished with 'Why did you want the binoculars?' and walking around naked with the lights on. The yemen native was show closer. He did ones about how he doesn't carry babies, is Wal-Mart hiring?, working in a computer shop, and the phone doesn't vibrate. Others were about a hoodie and joining ISIS, walking in Maple Grove, and she said another man's name. His lady was a farm volunteer, another bit was about a stolen car, and he wrapped up with one about teaching Arabic. The Mason City native asked me about the band Iron Maiden, I said I had heard of them and that was all. It was largely due to the reference in the movie 'Bill and Ted'.
  At work the political science guy said he ran a re-education camp, after I expressed fears that he may be sent to one after some of the comments he has made like how he is not a fan of companies being owned by stockholders. We work for one that is.

10,000 Laughs Festival Volunteer

     I left work an hour early to get to a training event for the 10k laughs comedy festival. I was told by the bossman that I was way early, though I went by the time I was given by the volunteer coordinator. Since the customer entrance to the venue was unavailable at the time, we went down the 'Employees Only' stairs. While waiting I saw the magic man arrive, and we both had Arnold Palmer drinks. He figured leaving $10 on the table would be good enough, but I decided to take it directly over to the server who said leaving it on the table wasn't good enough. I helped with folding shirts and tagging them by size, eventually I got one of them along with a pass that I am still wearing around my neck. Closer to the start time of the show, it was time for the evening meal and eventually I decided to go across a viaduct on University Avenue in Minneapolis where I found a Jimmy John's sandwich shop. I was eating it and got a picture of it while walking back to the venue. Good show all around, I didn't know all of the performers though. Two acts were from Chicago, one was a sister act and a co-headliner with the rap/comedy act known as Valley Meadows. I said this was the reason why I decided to be a volunteer this time, as I wanted a shirt and to get in free to shows like this one. I really got in to the Meadows act, which included the song 'Do the Paul Reiser'. Other performers tonight included the roller grill comic, the preschool teacher, and the 'Extra murder' comic. I did see the big dog near the end of the show, and we briefly spoke, then I went back to my seat, a chair I brought down from the bar on the upper level. I liked being able to say hi to so many other comedian friends there. I said to the bossman when I got back with the sandwich how 'The place is hopping'. It was why I said I am thankful I am working the festival this year as this was a great opening show.

Brunch At Hamline

    I went to a debate-watching party this morning at Hamline University in St. Paul, it was for the Minnesota governor's race between Mark Dayton and Jeff Johnson. There was donuts and apples, we watched it in a residence hall as we were unable to get into the actual venue. After it was a brunch being advertised in another building. It was good food, really liked the eggs and bacon. But I found out it was another political event, as they were handing out flyers. So I had some more eggs and I left.
    After the debate party, it was on to get more posters displayed for the comedy festival. I had just four left and I sent them to Dunn Brothers coffee near Snelling. I saw Garrison Keillor walking from the parking lot as the bookstore he owns is near there. But I didn't say anything. The other place I went to was also a coffee shop- the Caribou on Ford Parkway. It was almost midday by then, so I wasn't home for long before the next event- seeing the Bears game at Alary's bar in downtown St. Paul. I did find Kentucky there with his wife and we did get a ring of honor photo done early in the game, shortly after I got there. He was in a tent in the back, with somebody wearing a 26 jersey like the servers were. My guess is this was the owner, especially when there were 'Reserved' signs on the table. I had one beer, and then a burger at halftime. The Bears trailed 14-0 at the half to the Miami Dolphins and lost to Miami 27-14. Before leaving downtown I did get a photo of a merchandise truck, for the Pearl Jam concert at the Xcel Center. People were already lined up, hours before the show. I have seen them twice, didn't feel the need to see them this time.
    I made it over to the Rainbow Foods in West St. Paul, it is having a liquidation sale and I got 19 items for about $30, things are 25% off. Some I will use more quickly than others, already ate the fruit cup. The non-food items were toilet paper and dish soap. I picked up a few items I haven't tried in a while- La Choy chow mein and Tuna Helper.
   In the evening I watched some of the Simpsons Halloween episode, some of it was about Moe getting slapped around and playing a Brit. Then it was watching some of the Sunday night football game, Broncos- 49ers. Peyton Manning was honored for being a record breaker- for TD passes. There was mention made of john Elway looking on overhead, since he now has a front office job with the Broncos. I posted on Facebook how it's kind of funny, isn't it? Manning got most of those TDs with the Colts- the same team Elway REFUSED to play for. I also posted on Facebook how I had to count it again as to how many comics are in my ring of honor. I decided to re-tag them by sequence in terms of when they were added.  

Last Days In Vietnam Movie

    This afternoon I went to see the documentary movie 'Last days in Vietnam' at the St. Anthony Main theater in Minneapolis. I had wanted to see it at the Uptown theater last week but couldn't find the time. After finding out it would move to another theater I knew I could wait anyway. I haven't read much about the Vietnam War, so it was educational to me. I knew that Saigon fell in the spring of 1975, just over two years after American troops left, but this was basically it. I had a hard time understanding some things depicted in it, like a million dollars in cash being burned at the American embassy in the last days of the war. One thing in particular was familiar, from footage I had seen before. It was where a helicopter was being pushed into the sea, showing how desperate things were at the end. Looting of the embassy after it was evacuated, not too surprising at all. I have seen footage of looting before, it tends to happen whenever there is a breakdown of the law. There was plenty of footage from interviews with Henry Kissinger, who was Secretary of State during the era being covered. After the movie ended, I estimated the crowd as 10-15. I heard somebody swearing about what they had seen, they must have remembered the war. Then I could see and hear how they were choked up about it.
    I did resume hanging flyers, and I like how I haven't run out of ideas yet. I 'Went suburban' and displayed some at the Ramsey County Library in Roseville, as well as at a Cub Foods on Larpenteur. I then found my way to University Avenue, and posted some on a bulletin board at a Cub Foods there, as well as at a Subway sandwich shop inside a Wal-Mart. On to Snelling, and I made a return to Cheapo Records, after hanging some at the Jimmy John's sandwich shop across the street. I don't have many left now, knowing how the festival is starting in a few days.
   In the evening I went to see the play 'Radio Man' at the History theater in downtown St. Paul. It is about the radio show 'Prairie Home Companion', and its host, Garrison Keillor. I liked it, made me laugh often, seemed to capture the spirit of the show well. The actor playing him was anything but a dead ringer. Though I think it would be hard to find a dead ringer, unless it was Keillor playing himself like in the movie version I saw. I liked the scenes involving a lady friend who had returned, as these were the most personal ones. I liked others like when there was mention of the show satirizing nostalgia, and then became what it satirized. Or how Keillor has a hard time accepting compliments, this I can relate to as I was this way for a while, definitely before doing stand-up. And
the part about how he was considered to be weird when he was young, but now some would just call it 'High-functioning autism'. or his being a loner.
   The day started with getting an oil change at Jiffy Lube, and I liked who I met there. He said he was going to Mankato as he knew somebody running a marathon there, as I recall his wife. He had served in the Army, and said he knew about some car maintenance from his dad owning a gas station in Louisiana, along with what he did in the military. He told a story about two people who claimed to be Cajun, one was named Pierre, but he really wasn't Cajun as he was from Mississippi. It was in response to hearing about one of my fellow comics being from that state, along with how one of my jokes was about a 'Cajun cougar'.

Bowling At Memory Lanes

     I went to a Match dot-com Stir event at Memory Lanes in Minneapolis as I like bowling. I bowled 3 games, got over 100 for two of them. The scores were 71, 106, 107- in that order. I like bowling but I don't go very often now, more fun to bowl when in a group. I knew I was better than my first game, since I bowled in a league when I was young. Another attendee was interested in how I do stand-up comedy and write a blog, it led to me giving out a business card as I was on my way out. I was asked to tell a joke and it was about a preacher who talked about what the family dog did during a sermon. I quit the church over that. This was somebody who was part of an 'Entourage' of three. It was my first Stir event, recommended by a colleague after I spoke of how online dating just hasn't panned out. When I tried speed dating before I said I wasn't good at it, needed more time than 3 minutes with each match. But it was before I did stand-up. So now if you give me 3 minutes and a microphone, I know I can wow people. There was some food in a banquet or party room, appetizers like tortilla chips and carrot sticks. Eventually chicken was put into the covered warming tray, so I had some of it as well. I hadn't eaten much after getting off work so I was ready to eat by then, knowing food would be furnished. And there was the music, 'If it makes you happy' by Sheryl Crow, and 'Human Wheels' by John Mellencamp was played there.
   After the bowling event, it was on to the comedy club. I also picked up more flyers to hang this weekend. After parking my car near the club, I liked finding another foreign coin in the lot near my car. It is from South Africa, 5 cents, from 1974. It is good that I pay attention to the opportunities that exist in life. It is not the first time where I ended up with a coin after seeing it on the pavement in a parking lot. When I see something shiny, I inspect it- might be of value. There is a bird on the side that says '5c', maybe a crane. It will go into the tin with the other coins I am collecting. I liked bring able to think on my feet, doing a joke about what I was eating. somebody asked me 'Popcorn, peanuts?' 'No, Cracker Jacks, baseball joke'.
   Mr. Pibb did ones about Legos, a dumpster fire, and a firefighter on a motorcycle. Others were about be a lady, skip dessert, and mango hibiscus. Postage stamp did ones about 'Toy Story', and walk into the woods for a time machine. Others were about an eccentric weirdo and spoons, it disgusts me, and bread knives. Fever said he had a nice coat, be impressed with it. he is still bullied by teenagers, and did one about deer suicide. Others were about a sex swing at Home Depot, and a hash brown breakfast. Tortoise and hare did one about a cemetery hoarder. Others were about you were there, the Wizard of Oz, basted roast beef, and get up for D and D. Morton Salt did ones about a sleep number bed, pro-life billboards, and his uncle selling expensive sneakers. Rut-roh did one about
a redneck at a bookstore, and was wearing an 'area man' shirt. Others were about a mulligan on a 'real handshake', chess with Bob Seger, Sarah Jessica Parker, and crack is vegan. Fantasia did ones about girls loving jerks, Michael Jordan, a pan to scoop it out of the river, and his dad was so cool. Bus fare hates small talk, a sandwich conundrum, then pizza, soup. Another was about being from a South American orphanage. Happy meal did one about sweating while eating fast food, before getting to the drive-thru. Others were about a coupon book, for adoption, and why are there two windows? I said 'I'm still here' to Fever and Morton Salt.
  

Crystal Farms Variety Pack

     I went to a grocery store tonight in West St. Paul, a Cub Foods. I wanted to get to the Rainbow, since it is having a liquidation sale, but it was already closed for the night. I got a roll of toilet paper, an 8-pack of Keebler peanut butter crackers, and a variety pack of Crystal Farms cheese. It was cheddar, marble jack, and Swiss. I had hoped to find single serving string cheese, but the smallest pack was 10, so I went with the 8-pack of slices. I ate 3 of the slices already, in my car before I went anywhere. I had found an article on the Minneapolis paper's website when looking up times for a Vietnam movie about two more Rainbow Foods locations closing- the other is in Minneapolis near Hiawatha. I wanted pictures and still can get some, but it will have to wait until this weekend.
   It was another good night of comedy festival promoting. I went to three more places tonight to hang posters, so now all the posters and cards have been displayed somewhere. I found bulletin boards at a Panera bread, Potbelly sandwiches, and Half-price books. I think I had been to the Panera bread location, when it was a Blockbuster Video. Then it was off to the grocery store.
    The political science guy said he felt like a dodo bird today. He also spoke of how he wrote a master's thesis about conflict in the Arctic related to things like oil rights. After work I liked seeing the Science Museum employee. I am not used to seeing her after work, only before as we usually ride the same bus into downtown but she gets off at an earlier stop than me. She was laughing when I told a story about why I quit a church while living in suburban Chicago- I didn't like the preacher's sermons. He spoke about the family dog and the Virginia Tech football team in sermons, so I quit and found another church. She did hear earlier this week about my work to promote the comedy festival, and expressed interest in seeing me perform stand-up comedy soon. I said I knew of one show I am doing next month, and gave out a business card. I know this was somebody I likely wrote about before. She grew up in some of Chicago's housing projects, knowing Kirby Puckett and Mr. T.  

Herding Cats

    There was a City Pages article, the cover story, about the comedy festival. It did make a reference about how it is like 'Herding cats', which I understand must be hard to do. I liked the feeling of knowing many of those in the article.
   I did more promoting of the comedy festival tonight, went to four places before heading to the comedy club. One of those was Common Good Books, owned by Garrison Keillor. I was able to get both kinds of posters on display there. I got cards posted to bulletin boards at a Super-America gas station, and a Caribou coffee shop. The final place was a bar near a comedy club, but was told that general manager approval was needed. The manager on duty did say he would lobby for it.
   At the comedy club tonight, apron was m.c. and sub teacher was show closer. I liked finding an employee of the St. Paul Saints baseball team, he looked familiar, especially when wearing a Saints jacket. I said I was reading a Saints book currently, 'Slouching towards Fargo'.
   Apron did ones about being uncomfortable on airplanes, and 'I should be the coach'. Jersey video did ones about wearing glasses, attending a Vikings game, and Aaron Rodgers. Turtle check did ones about a weight loss challenge, changing shapes, and Xanax. Others were about selfies, and drunk password changes. Software developer did one about 'tequila and a compliment'. Ding Dong did ones about an easy-bake crematorium, and and clown shooting arrest. A former member of the Navy did one about hypothetical questions. Another was about 'how can I make her cry?' Laundry did one about quicksand. Another was about bakery, prison, and hookers. Godmother did ones about a bucket list, a roadtrip to Denver, and panic at the dog park. Others were about an arrest at a hair salon, and her husband was promoted. The crow did one about pro wrestling, and being caught by his grandma. Perkins did ones about a zombie apocalypse, Steve Buscemi, and his car was almost towed. Locks of Love did ones about 'pork-tober' in Iowa, sleeping naked with ghosts, her dad returning a greeting card, and perform depravity. Kentucky did one about finding a bar. Preschool teacher did one about a chocolate bar, being in Las Vegas, and 'down by the bay'. Sub teacher did ones about Ron Paul stickers, ISIS as grandma nicknames, and bullet-proof glass in gas stations. Others were about flax seed, a flirt in a bar, 'Remember the Titans', baby cougars, and 'Mr. Blueberry'. Then there was his lady at MNDOT, a gas station pizza, and rough abstinence.

Comedy Festival Promoting

     After work tonight I was busy with promoting a comedy festival that will be next week. I stopped at 9 places before I finally headed to the comedy club. The first place was a community center, was told they needed approval for displaying anything. It was easiest to display the cards- or handbills- at two grocery stores, as both had bulletin boards. Then there was a Subway sandwich shop, and a Clark gas station. A self-service laundry, hot dog place, and a German restaurant were next. Finally was a music store, I got both kinds of posters displayed there. One of the employees recognized me from doing stand-up. I got pictures at each of the places I left handbills at, wanting to prove I was serious about helping out. I bought a CD and two postcards at the music store. It was a comedy CD- Denis Leary. There are a few more places I want to visit of course.
   At the comedy club tonight, Mason City was MC and International Falls was show closer. I got some shout-outs from Mason City, and I like these. He spoke of me being a 'Local psychopath' that likes Lady Gaga and Social Distortion. In another he spoke of me being rendered to a 'Weird orgasmic position' by the laughing I was doing. Another was about a light saber.
    Fever did one about a body zit. Others were about how he quit gambling, but now steals airport food. Another was about Motel 6 having the same material for drapes and sheets. Lunch Lady did ones about being in charge, and training people over MEA. Others were about first ladies, and the state fair. Ex-TSA did ones about a mid-life crisis, Tony the Tiger, and the MN/WI cities. Others were about the military paying him to go away, and TSA meaning thousands standing around. Bus fare did ones about a town meeting off the rails, and a sandwich problem. Others were about being uncomfortable with his hands, and someone to drink with. The D.C. native did ones about breast cancer, and the detox triple crown. Others were about the Japanese Embassy, Denver plane ticket, and buying a napkin. International Falls did one about it being a 3-4 birth control pill night. Others were about a dog rescue, street harasser, ripping out an IUD, and internet dating. 

Mary Elizabeth Lease

     When I saw a posting on Facebook about a comedian friend doing a name change, it made me think of somebody I learned about in history class in high school. She was Mary Elizabeth Lease, who was from the American Populist era, the late 19th century. She urged Kansas farmers to 'Raise less corn and more hell!' It was a big deal to see this word in my history book. The Wikipedia page suggests this quote may have been invented by the media. Another thing mentioned was how she may have been the inspiration for the Dorothy character in 'Wizard of Oz'. Of course they mean the book series. This is possible, since it is known to be a satire of Populist politics. It also spoke of how she was divorced, in a time when divorces didn't happen much, and when women couldn't vote.
   I went to the comedy club tonight, and I spoke with three times three after the show and we really hadn't spoken at length much before. He was given a business card so he can now find the blog, as he was informed about it and his name there. I also saw the front-woman for the band 'Dirty curls', as she asked me to help with getting posters displayed to promote an upcoming comedy festival. I already have some ideas on where I can display them. I didn't count how many I was given just yet.
   Rut-roh did ones about cheese, and being drunk at a party. Ragu did ones about Comcast, and an elephant as part of religion. The crow was caught by his grandma, related to porn. Mr. Pibb did ones about 13 Emilys, and hibiscus. The red-faced comic did ones about 12/13 CDs, and his son. Pottery barn did ones about a euphemism, and 'related to each other'. The D.C. native did ones about a Denver plane ticket, and the movie 'Dallas Buyers Club'. Locks of Love did ones about mental illness, and menopause. Oklahoma did ones about a hat and toupee, and tartar sauce. Roller grill did ones about huffing, bear porn, and being an old soul. Sub teacher did ones about 'Remember the Titans', baby cougars, 'blueberry', and ISIS. Three times three did one about a punch. 'Extra murder' did ones about 'Unsolved Mysteries', and ennui. Hard to read my notes for the opera singer. School bouncer did one about 'homeless and humble'. Fantasia did ones about Frankenstein, and role playing. Postage stamp did ones about spoons. University accountant did ones about Red Bull, pig bladders, and 99 problems. Maryland did ones about 'femi-ninjas', Nike and AP, and his condo. Louisiana was show closer and did one about Neosporin.  

Big Bang Theory Trivia Game

    I like the TV show 'Big Bang Theory', and when I was at Walgreen tonight to get a photo order I decided to get a trivia game about the show along with the photos. I also picked up a movie on DVD, 'Rachel Papers', a movie advertised all the time on Cinemax when I was young. Now it is a case of finding out when I can get around to watching it. I knew James Spader is in it, and it is about chasing women, but little else. I added four more people to the 'Ring of honor', now there appears to be 44. I returned the rental car to the airport this morning, after going to the grocery store and doing dishes. After I got home I eventually got around to doing laundry, and watched some of the Bears-Falcons game after I was done. The Bears won. I also checked my email and went to Dairy Queen to use a 2 for 1 blizzard coupon before doing laundry. The Simpsons episode was about Marge running a sandwich shop. There was a dedication at the end, in memory of Jan Hooks, who died recently. I knew her best from 'Saturday Night Live'.
    I picked up some more baseball cards this weekend, two small packs. So I decided to get all of the ones in my backlog done, in the binder, as there was also a pack of 100. I started with a total of 124 cards, and just 17 of them were duplicates.

Iowa 80 Truck Stop

    I began the day in Walcott, Iowa, at a hotel near the Iowa-80 truck stop, which calls itself  'The world's largest'. I hadn't seen the truck stop in a while, and before hitting the road for the Hawkeye football game I picked up some souvenirs there. It included 7 postcards, along with a magnet and a Hawkeye greeting card which showed the flags spelling out 'Iowa' at a football game. It was nice having continental breakfast at the Days Inn, I had some Froot Loops and the 'Make your own waffle'. When I was getting pictures in the breakfast area, the desk clerk gave me a weird look, then I asked if she had heard of Vivian Maier, like most she hadn't. But somebody at the table near me had.
   It was a good football game, Iowa beat Indiana 45-29. It was 28-7 at the end of the first quarter and 38-21 at the half, Iowa never trailed in this one. The second TD was on a 'Pick 6', my favorite play of the game. I got plenty of pictures at the stadium, and some outside of it as well on the way back to my car. I had a cheeseburger and some bottled water at a food stand outside the stadium after the game. I had hoped to see a classmate there but he didn't stay long after the game, and I made it to my seat just as the game was starting. It was no big deal to me to drive back to the Twin Cities after the game, since there are things I still want to get done this weekend and this gives me more time. After stopping early on for fuel in Coralville, I made just two more- near Waterloo, and then Clear Lake. All were at Casey's gas stations, a common store in Iowa. I had a donut at the Waterloo-area one, and a slice of pizza at the one in Clear Lake. And I listened to more comedy CDs, four in all, on the drive back home. But I kept the radio on when I found 'Prairie Home Companion' on public radio. I left Iowa City just after 4pm and was back in the Twin Cities just after 10pm. Thankfully it was no problem at all getting through a construction delay around Owatonna, though there were warning signs saying 'Extended delays on weekends'. Going through it in the evening may have helped. I decided to clean out my rental car right away, not just my bag but also the trash. It just meant taking a little flashlight with me to the car to see all of it in the feet area of the passenger side seat.  

History Alumni Shirt

     I drove to Iowa City today for homecoming, and made it just in time for the history department reception being held in the downtown area inside the building once known as 'Old Capitol Mall'. I was given a choice of shirts, I chose the black and gold one over black and white. It said 'Iowa history', and 016 in the middle. Had to remind myself how this is our department number. I got a photo holding up the shirt.
     I went to McDonald's this morning for a breakfast sandwich and got four Monopoly game pieces. Hard to say how many more times I will go there during this 'Event', which is through the end of the month. I know this is a popular idea for this fast-food chain, pretty much annual now.
    Near the end of the day, I started writing about my day in my hotel room in Walcott, IA, about 40 miles east of Iowa City. But I was tired and laying down, also drinking a beer I got at a nearby gas station, so eventually I fell asleep and didn't get as far as I wanted to on the writing. I said it had already been a busy day for me, and I was watching a baseball playoff game, Royals-Orioles. The beer was a 16-ounce Bud Light in a bottle-style can, and I ate some peanuts as well. I also said I am in Walcott as my college roommate said he would be out of town, normally this is somebody I can stay with as he lives in Coralville, adjacent to Iowa City. I think the Pilot gas station I went to for the beer and nuts looked familiar, just hadn't seen it in a while. When I lived in suburban Chicago I sometimes stopped there, going to of from Iowa City or places west of it. I say it because of seeing a Cobra CB/electronics shop across the road. Another was the CDs and movies inside the gas station, and I bought two comedy CDs tonight- Bill Cosby, and Sam Kinison. In one of those earlier visits I saw the original 'Thomas Crown Affair' movie for sale there. I still have going over to the truck stop on my list, it is nearby, on the other side of I-80. The day began fairly early, turning off my alarm clock at 8:30am. I was busy with getting ready to leave, be it packing my bag or going online to do a last check of email. Then just after 10am, I walked up to the bus stop to get to the airport. It was fairly routine on getting the car there, though I had to say no to the first offering. I wanted a CD player in order to listen to some comedy CDs done by my friends. I got a little Ford. Oh, and somebody from Enterprise happened to recognize me. I was told it was from my rental last weekend, when I went to Oktoberfest in New Ulm. This was where my writing ended for the night.
   I liked how I didn't need to make many stops along the way. I stopped in Clear Lake, IA, for a lunch at the Casey's gas station. But then I missed my turn onto the 'Avenue of the Saints' just south of there, so I decided to take the first exit going east, a county road. Eventually I made it over to the Avenue, going through Clarksville near the end. It wasn't too much out of my way. I stopped again in Cedar Falls, also at a Casey's. When I got to Iowa City I parked in a ramp near the student union, and got annoyed with somebody who talked down to me. I was asking about getting to the history event, and mention was made by them of the Old Capitol, but not the mall of the same name. I said I actually went to this university. After the event I took a look around the Old Capitol grounds, where a stage was set up for the Wallflowers free concert after the parade. I also liked looking around the mall, and finding some postcards. It included some doing a NYC/Paris comparison, and had Lady Gaga on it. And we already knew I like postcards. After the parade I ate at Panchero's nearby. No surprise how there was a line, it is a popular place. And I walked around the downtown area some more. When I was at the US Bank ATM I had already experienced somebody telling me they liked my Minnesota Wild winter hat as they were from Minnesota. I saw some of the opening act at the concert, Duncan Sheik if I am not mistaken, but didn't stay for the headliner.

Helping With A Drawing

    There was a meeting I attended in the afternoon at work. A senior leader asked me to help with the drawing of prizes, more than once. We have spoken many times before, and he seems to be impressed with how I do stand-up comedy. But both times, I did not draw my own name. One was small tickets, the other was our completed 'Fill in the blank' forms about our new business strategy after an IPO. In the morning was a fire drill, the political science guy made a few jokes about it. Odd that a chatterbox colleague said she didn't do stairs, well sometimes one needs to. I still have a hard time ignoring her, I think most people would. I liked how it wasn't too hard to see that things were caught up by the end of the day as I am out of the office Friday. We were also given more goodies for 'Celebrate You' week. One was a small bag of pretzels, the other a half-can (7.5 ounces) of Mountain Dew. I said this didn't meet our Health Ahead standards. I drank half of this can and dumped the rest.
    I went to the comedy club tonight and was there to support friends in a contest. The Hillary Clinton look-alike invited me on Facebook. The Maryland native was also a finalist. So 2 people from my 'Ring of honor' were in it. Conga line and self-checkout were there, as well as a male secretary and a comic I hadn't written about in a while- a speech therapist. So I basically knew all of the six, hard to know who to vote for. Self checkout won. Normally I just have beer, but I made it to the club earlier than typical as seating for an expected sell-out began early. My food order was late but it was 'Comped' so I am not complaining about it. The radio personality said she mentioned me on a podcast she did recently, that I did as well. It flattered me. She was the MC tonight and for most of the contest, and we did a photo after the show so she will be added to the 'Ring of honor'.

Lucinda Williams, Wall Street Journal

     I went into the break room today and saw an article about musician Lucinda Williams in the Wall Street Journal. It was from last month but I hadn't read it yet. I like reading stories about entertainers, although I am still not too familiar with her music. I recall hearing one song on a radio at the post office before, one of the employees told me who the performer was. The lyrics did stick with me- 'I am waiting in my car'. The article spoke of a release of a double album. I also liked reading about how her dad is a poet that performed at one of President Clinton's inaugurations.
   I am now officially signed up as a volunteer for a comedy festival later this month, waiting to hear where and when they need me. There was a comment thread on Facebook tonight, after getting back from a show, but said my cell phone is not a smart phone.
   Really enjoyed the comedy show I attended tonight. I knew the MC, he is my 'Manufactured rival'. It was crowded there, was told it was 'Insiders night'. I tried to sign up for this list and was denied, this was when I first started doing comedy 6 years ago. Might be easier to get on the list now. I do not know the feature all that well. We just met earlier this week. I know he is from Madison and does two memorable jokes. One is using the microphone stand as a prop, representing a taller man when he does a joke about trying to be a bouncer despite being short. The other is using a 'Visual aide' to show various positions besides '69', represented by some other digits. It was nice to meet the headliner again, he headlined the night of my first-ever paid gig when I competed with the fire alarm. Found out where he knew me besides this, he said he had seen me at some other clubs. He also did a big show I attended, at a casino in the area. It was Super Bowl weekend over 2 years ago. He is being added to the 'Ring of honor', this appears to be a running joke in the comedy circuit as I am explaining what it is all the time. I got some of his comedy CDs after the show as well.

Snap Chat

    At the comedy club tonight, I spoke with the nurses aide after the show and said I was not entirely familiar with what 'Snap Chat' was, but felt like I probably understood it well enough where the joke wasn't lost on me. She did explain it to me. I completed the writing about concerts I have attended for Mason City. I spent my lunchtime doing the commentary and observations, including mention of shows that I didn't get typed on the first writing. I really enjoyed it and I kept a copy for myself. When it was submitted tonight, I said it was best read when he had the time. While skimming it right away he asked about the Guns and Roses show from 1993, at the basketball arena in Iowa City. I don't recall if the band had their original lineup, my guess is they did not have it by then as some bands like themselves or The Pretenders have changed it multiple times. I did like sharing some memories of it like the opener was the Brian May band, and of course this was a member of the band Queen, where Freddie Mercury was front-man. And how GNR brought out a couch for their acoustic set and said 'We are going to sit here for 20 minutes and see what you are going to do'. Another was front-man Axl Rose playing piano- for the song 'November Rain'. He finished his drink, then he finished the song.
      The D.C. native was MC tonight. He did ones about vodka and olives, shows in Chattanooga, and detox facilities. Others were 5th on the 3rd, there are no consequences, pill and bathroom, and buying a napkin. A comic who sent me a video with him wearing a shirt with a baby on it also performed. He did ones about Homer Simpson, and having a December 26 birthday. He does a voice impression of his dad, about Christian Ponder. It continued with his dad saying 'tell her I love her', though his parents are divorced. A comic who speaks about winning the 'mom meat raffle' did this joke, along with one about dating somebody with just one spoon. She is dating her ex-husband, and spoke of disappointment about stealing the Sunday paper. There were no coupons for cigarettes, weed, or Taco Bell. The red-faced comic did ones about DUIs, and how his car runs on birthday wishes. He was fired at Little Caesars, and did another one about being on a desert island. Dictionary did ones about his lady's alarm clock, a cocoon from the covers, along with NASCAR and Busch Light. The Hillary Clinton look-alike did one about having a rare form of bulimia, caused by alcohol. Others were about flirting at Subway, an odd match at OK Cupid, dating a Harry Potter nerd, and 'Hey Buddy!' Long Straw did one about Weekend at Bernie's. Others were about a Cubs urn, managing a Blockbuster Video, and eating lobster. Mason City did ones about a dirty text message to his mom, and they're homeless people not aliens. Others were about a dead rabbit, preschool, an IRS agent, Nicolas Cage, Monsanto gave us stationery, and a text message to his wife. A comic who has served in the Navy did one about 'don't hurt my friend'. Another was about Shaquille O'Neal and Chewbacca. The nurses aide did ones about dating her boss, and 3-somes. Others were about snap-chat, fries and ranch, eggs are dying, and tinted windows. The Yemen native did ones about how he doesn't carry babies, and teaching Arabic. Another was about a civil war in Yemen, and a rocket landed near his relative's home. When he is homesick, he goes to Detroit. Others were about listening to rap, his lady went roofing, and another guy's name. The rapper comic did one about having a Rudy moment playing football. Another was about a grand finale, and fireworks. A comic who had done a joke about a killer whale at Sea World did ones about winter weather coming, and a state fair carnie.

Chinese Coin Found

    While walking through the skyway at midday I decided to check the change counter to see if there were any rejected coins. I was pleased that I found some once again- four in all. Two were Canadian quarters. One was a peso from the Dominican Republic, and the fourth was a Yi Jiao. I had to look it up online and it said this was from China. In a metro area this size, with a major airport, I think it increases the odds of seeing foreign coins. I already wrote about finding one from the Bahamas. I was quick about it, in an out so it meant there was a low chance of getting noticed where people might ask questions. I can use the Canadian coins for my next visit to Canada, whenever this may be. Since I like baseball a lot I had said it would be nice to do a baseball tour of the Dominican sometime, but not sure when I would have enough time and money for it. So seeing a coin from there is nice.
   I was onstage at the comedy club tonight, fourth in the lineup. I did mostly new jokes and was surprised I had to contend with a heckler, which is rare. I said she should sign up next week, but this didn't seem to be enough to shut her down. An employee did speak to her though. I noticed after I left the stage that it didn't faze me, as I ended up doing most of the jokes I wanted to. There was one I did a shortened version of at the end. I probably could have handled it better, but could have also handled it much worse than I did. Not much experience with hecklers, this may be a good thing. But I learned something from the experience and will likely get some comedy material from it. The Maryland native said I did fine, and a few said they liked my set as well. I did jokes about ear wax, the band leader in New Ulm, an annoying woman on the bus, un-necessary guilt, and Vivian Maier.
     Long straw did ones about a Cubs urn, lobster, and people living in 1901. Tortoise and hare did ones about threesomes, and Fonzie not doing his A game. Turtle check did ones about why he's single, along with hunting, and parents trash talking. The Yemen native did one about teaching Arabic, and a rap. Bus fare did ones about a sandwich top, pizza, a bathrobe, and the walk of shame. The red-faced comic did ones about Coldplay, and Red Robin. The 'Extra murder' comic did ones about a jump-rope, and not his real name. School bouncer did ones about a text oath, step-kids, and Redbox. Fantasia did ones about a tornado drill, and girls like jerks. The bathtub comic did ones about a petting zoo, and a clarinet. Maryland did ones about his condo, shy in his car, and don't eat the shrimp. Postage stamp did one about socks, and his hometown. University accountant did ones about Red Bull, cream of wheat, Barnum, and the red hat society. The sub teacher did ones about safe words, his lady, and the president. Perkins did ones about walking dead, and how he was almost towed. The show closer is from Madison, and did one about Nicolas Cage.

Compiling Concert List

     I knew I had some time today to compile a list of concerts I had been to. This was prompted by a facebook posting to the Mason City native that arose out of Bus Fare's mention of being scared to watch the movie 'Willy Wonka'- the one starring Gene Wilder- as a kid. I made mention of another Gene Wilder movie, 'Young Frankenstein', and where I saw it- happened to be in Winnipeg for a Van Halen concert. Mason City is well known for his music knowledge. So I said I should compile the list, and he can tell me what he thinks of the concerts I have been to over the years. I found out I had stubs or 'Print at home' tickets from over 60 concerts, starting with Genesis at Cyclone Stadium in Ames, Iowa, in 1992. Some stubs were from music- related events, like plays or museums or even a laser light show. I am familiar with free concerts I have seen where of course there was no ticket. I went to the library after writing them down after watching some of the Bears-Panthers game, the Panthers won. It left me with just 30 minutes before closing, but I am pleased with getting most of the list typed up. It mainly just leaves commentary about it, as my mobility is evident with where I have seen shows over the years. And of course the genres, by who I dated for more than two years.
   I drove over to South St. Paul in hopes of going to a Booya soup serving, but it looks like the festival having it had been on Saturday when I was at another event. I did say when looking at it on the website how the day of the week didn't seem to match up with the given date. Then it was on to Alary's Bar in downtown St. Paul, in case I saw the Kentucky native there to get a 'Ring of honor' photo but he wasn't there. I went to the nearby Super-America to get a slice of pepperoni pizza and some Nutter Butter cookies and vitamin water, then headed back to my car and drove home. If he isn't there and it is on local TV then I might as well watch it at home, where I am more comfortable doing things like falling asleep, and I did doze off briefly in my easy chair.
   I knew I was running out of time to look at another thing, requesting tickets for a sports festival, so I studied it tonight and chose three events- two baseball sessions and one boxing session. The order went through my Ticket-Master account. Those happen to be the sports I am most interested in.  

Turner Hall Prize Winner

     I went to Oktoberfest in New Ulm today and one of my typical stops was at Turner Hall to have a drink. I ordered a Schell's Oktoberfest and was given a 'Boot' beer glass. I was informed that it was given to whoever 'Kills' the keg. This is why it is good to do this event annually- each year is a little different, and there is probably going to be plenty to write about. The man next to me at the bar was surprised to find out he was so close to getting it. 
    I made numerous stops today, one of them was before New Ulm. It was to this retail store on route 169 between Jordan and Belle Plaine that had big signs about their soda pop collection and puzzles as well. It was crowded in there, but I did find a puzzle I liked with a baseball theme. It is a spot and find puzzle game, a Euro-graphics kids puzzle, 100 pieces. Notable there was hearing a kid asking his dad 'why can't we get a pumpkin?' 'We've got $106 worth of candy'.
     I went to New Ulm's Brown County Museum for the first time in a while, there was a display about the 1862 Sioux Uprising that included a small howitzer, 12 pounds. I wanted to get to Schell's Brewery and get a replacement Grain Belt shirt in their gift shop, and I found a suitable one. I liked some of the signs on the wall there, though I didn't buy any of them. One of them was a Dr. Seuss quote, including 'Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind'. I got some souvenirs at the county museum, two were about the 150th anniversary of the Sioux Uprising- a coin, and a magnet. Both were discounted. The others were postcards, six in all. One is of the museum, which served as the town's post office until 1976. Another was of the Harkin Store outside town, seen it once before. A third is a young girl who looks like an angel as she has wings, she seems to carrying some evergreen branches. The other three are related to the Sioux Uprising. Some were free ones I picked up at the Visitor Center, like a bigger one about the restoration of the Wanda Gag (pronounced gogg) house. She is famous for writing the children's book 'Millions of cats' and translated Grimm fairy tales from German. I have two buttons pinned to my Iowa Hawkeye sweatshirt. One is about New Ulm's 'Narren', entertainers at the festivals. I got it free when I asked about where I can get them. I liked getting a photo of seven of these members of the 'Troupe' a the Visitor Center. They are fine with photos, but only in full costume which includes masks. The other I bought for a dollar at a store called 'Guten Tag Haus', it said 'I did the chicken dance' (Kuchleintanz, must be what it means in German). And I did in the evening at the Holiday Inn, where I typically cap the evening. I didn't eat much today for a while. When I needed more batteries for my camera I went to the Target store and got a little cup of Nabisco cheese-cracker sandwiches. I finally had an actual meal in the evening at the Holiday Inn, bratwurst on a bun with sauerkraut, along with a piece of German chocolate cake. I was getting some attention for trying to do a 'Selfie' at my table after I had started eating. I turned down three offers from people who were willing to take a picture for me. I said to each one how it isn't a selfie if somebody does it for me. I also took a photo of the food. I did something like ten selfies before deciding the one to keep was in the first two. It seemed to be a little harder to do one while sitting at a table, or maybe I was trying too hard to get my sweatshirt in the photo when the most important thing was my face and one of the buttons pinned to it. I briefly went over to Sleepy Eye, just west of New Ulm by about 10 miles, to see the Linus statue in front of the library. I had a vanilla shake at the Hardee's across the street. They have a Linus statue there as the inspiration for the character, Linus Maurer (a friend of Charles Schulz) is from Sleepy Eye. I decided to wait until after the last show at the Glockenspiel of the day- 5pm- to go over there. In the middle of town there was a stage for performers, when I was there in the afternoon it was a Johnny Cash tribute band, called 'Church of cash'. I heard them play 'Walk the line', 'Jackson', 'One piece at a time', and 'Big river'. After my return from Sleepy Eye, I made it to German Park where I like to pause in front of the fountain and reflect since I enjoy visiting New Ulm so much. After whispering to myself for a short time about how things are just fine and how I like being in this town and park, I threw a penny in the fountain. I of course liked seeing one of the nearby pillars from the Wanda Gag house, with the poem that starts with 'Have you had a kindness shown?' as it reminded me of my 'Ohio friend' that I have probably written about before. She is now a journalist in Florida. Then it was on to Turner Hall. The Rathskeller, where I go to, of course has a sign over the entrance saying 'Tourists welcome'. The man next to me at the bar said he was from Sleepy Eye and taking a break before going back to the wedding reception on the upper level. I was spotted by an employee who recalled me from doing stand-up comedy in the Twin Cities. I found out he saw me perform, but is not the New Ulm native I recalled from one show. He said this was probably his roommate. I said I would be writing about my visit on my blog, and gave him one of my business cards. I liked seeing some things I hadn't before, like finding what appeared to be the county fairgrounds in the west part of town just off the main road. I figured it was the fairgrounds, after seeing a turning sign, as there was a grandstand. Another was a grocery store called 'Cash wise'. It is also in the west part of town. Hy-Vee, which I am familiar with as an Iowa native, is in the east part of town next to the Holiday Inn. There was a sit-down restaurant section, kind of like a Hy-Vee deli, which had nice art on the wall of town landmarks like the Defender's Monument- in reference to the Sioux Uprising. I did get a close-up look at this monument, in the median of a main road, and got plenty of photos of it. This is an obelisk, so it stands prominent when in the median. Around this time I got photos of historical markers or signs at the homes of Wanda Gag, and John Lind. The latter was a one-term governor, around 1901. I had toured both homes before, but it has been a while. At the Holiday Inn I got plenty of photos besides a selfie and of the food. I also got some of 'Festers' in their outfits, mainly of the women. Not sure what these dresses are called, dirndls I think. This included one woman who had a superhero outfit on and it said 'Beer girl'. I also got one of Miss New Ulm and the princess, while these two girls were on the dance floor. I was sitting next to an older couple, the man asked how far the Twin Cities was. I recognized an accent, didn't say this though and expected to hear some foreign country, but he said they were from Milwaukee. A band member saw my Iowa Hawkeye sweatshirt when I came out to do the chicken dance and tried to crack some weak jokes. When I spoke of where I live now, he was still trying and said something about ex-Gov. Jesse Ventura. I said I'm not him, and I do stand-up comedy and he was giving me joke material. He then gave up. I like knowing I can figure out effective ways to deal with people who are 'Just trying to have some fun with me'. I did notice some things had changed at the Holiday Inn, like how the 'Food court' is now an open area instead of a separate room. And there seemed to be fewer retailers selling souvenirs.   
   And there was even more music of note. No pun intended. At German Park, I heard 'My life' by Billy Joel. At the Holiday Inn, it was 'Ring of Fire' and 'One Fine Day'. Another was 'End of the World' by Lesley Gore I think. I also wrote down other lyrics for it- 'ended when you said goodbye'.

Like Golf, And Be Water

   I was onstage at the comedy club tonight. All 3 jokes in my set were inspired by the same comic, big dog. But he wasn't there. After the show I heard advice from Happy Meal- comedy is like golf, as well as be like water. He also said something about me being analytical. I liked how I got through my set. I was nervous before I went on, and exhausted but relieved when I was finished. It may need work, but the other 2 are fine- 'Ear wax' and 'Indentured servant'. Closing song was 'please stand up' or 'real slim shady' by Eminem.
    Nurses aide did a joke about back rubs. Rut-roh did ones about cheese he can't afford, rhetorical questions, people who ruin movies, jokes about cousins, and crack is vegan. Auto correct did one about life alert- fall and can't get up. Others were about the buffet line, ladies nights, why she doesn't like babies, and a guy up for a rebound. Roller grill did ones about having an old soul, and his manager having a neck tattoo. Netflix did one about strawberry shortcake hair. Others were about no marriage prospects, punk rock Jane Austen, a friend who passed a bar exam, and Beyoncé songs. Extra murder did ones about you have SAD, Nike jump rope, not his real name, $17 bill, and terrorist videos. Fantasia did one about girls loving jerks. Others were about Michael Jordan, and role playing. IED/IUD did ones about the Russian anti-gay stance, their vodka, and Wall Drug/Walgreen. Long straw did one about a Cubs urn, and lobster. He may have been known as Blockbuster. Laundry did one about bakery, prison, and hookers. Another was about kids doing street jokes. There was a Brooklyn guy, he wanted Polaroids after the show. Apron did ones about I should be the coach, and making people uncomfortable on planes. Bus fare lost a job at Chili's. It's how jobs work, seeing me on payday. Others were about a urinal trough, and don't poop in this bar. Red-faced comic did one about somebody ordering chicken fingers and ranch. Mr. Pibb did one about recycling fires. Ragu did ones about 'Wonderwall' by Oasis, 'All Star' by Smash Mouth, and jobs for old rappers like LL Cool J. Bartender did ones about tater tots, married and divorced a best friend, and 'taco-cat'. Happy Meal did one about the bathroom at a recent Vikings/Packers game.

Spaghetti In Conference Room

     I went to have lunch in the main break room and I noticed a door to our main conference room was open. Nobody was in there, but I saw some pans of leftover spaghetti. So I decided to claim some of it and heated it up in the microwave oven. A senior leader showed up eventually, but I was nearly finished by then and she didn't say anything. Neither did I.
   I went to an art event in northeast Minneapolis tonight. It was a part of town I hadn't seen before. On this street I also saw a boxing club called 'Uppercut', an appropriate name for a boxing venue. I got plenty of pictures as liked what I was seeing. A big fish on a hook was hanging off the side of one building. Another had a sign that looked like it was from a church.
   I hope to hear something soon about being able to volunteer at a comedy festival later this month. I tried to complete an online form but there was a password problem, unable to complete, or submit, the form. So I sent a message on Facebook through the event invite and was told somebody would follow up with me. It happens to be one of the performers I said I want to see at this festival. I am still reminded of the lesson from when I was young. When I joined my high school's football team as equipment manager, I said I liked being able to get in free to all the games. And I have seen these opportunities many times since then. Want to get in free to an event? Be willing to work same event. After hearing I wasn't performing, it didn't occur to me at first how I could volunteer as I hadn't done it in previous years. It should give me plenty of things to write about, and maybe even exposure to some comedy venues in the area that I haven't seen yet.
   In other issues, I let the Plymouth couple know about my plans to attend Oktoberfest in New Ulm soon. Hopefully I will see them there. I also heard from a classmate, he is a judge in Des Moines. But he told me how he was injured at another running event- his Achilles if I am not mistaken- so he will not be at the Twin City Marathon this weekend.  

American Lung Association

    I have to be thankful to the server from last night in more ways than one. I found out it is a better idea to do notes on a note pad than on comment cards or napkins. I told myself I have plenty of note pads sent to me by non-profits that want my money and they aren't getting used. So now I have a reason to use them. Tonight I used one from the American Lung Association. It said 'Fighting for air' and appears to be a Christmas theme. At the top it says 'Just a note' and the bottom is a gingerbread man. Next to 'Just a note' is a mitten filled up like a stocking there are various things sticking out, including a candy cane and a horse head.
   I recognized plenty of comics tonight. Blind side was MC. He did ones about the shows 'Simpsons' and 'Cops', security guard will shank you, and what he is worth since he is adopted. Kentucky did ones about judging without making eye contact, losing 30 pounds, tread mill at gym, and how much Taco Bell he ate. Godmother did one about a vision board and eye-chart. Others were about arresting a drunk hair dresser, her mom has dementia, 19 kids and counting, giving up cable, and the mailman with gloves. Self-checkout has a birthday coming up. Others were about best route to take, stepdad signing texts, Bill Nye comparison, as well as wine and valium. Conga line did one about a church selling holy water, and a wet t-shirt contest. Others were about not being a paperboy, and being in the closet with Salma Hayek. University accountant did one about balloons out of pig bladders. Others were about the Ragu Wikipedia page, drinking Red Bull, and the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Perkins
did one about a family cruise. Others were about his dad being too hard with a dipstick, his dad sweating after showers, his mom's eye surgery, David Copperfield, and Martin Scorsese. Software developer did ones about an adopted daughter being left at home, as well as tequila and a compliment. A father-son team was there. The son did one about a cavalcade of comedy. Others were about don't hurt my friend, Shaq and Chewy, and threw up over patio. The dad did one about candy cigarettes. Mason City did one about working at a school, and being on a field trip. The radio personality was show closer. She did ones about a refugee family, an apple orchard, her son brushing his butt, her sister shooting squirrels, and her garage sale mom.
    At work the political science guy was wondering how somebody would be allowed to drive. He was making some tough calls today, saying we need a signed authorization by the client. I am used to his speech by now where most of them are going to voice mail.