Emissions Test Cards

    I did some long-overdue cleanup for much of the day. It meant going through a box near my laptop table as well as the file cabinet. I got a good look at everything in the lower drawer of the file cabinet. Much of it was owner manuals and annual car insurance policies. But I also found some reminders of my time living in suburban Chicago for nearly 6 years. This included some emissions test cards, something I do recall having to do there but it is not required in Minnesota. These cards were from long enough ago that most of the cards are for a car I no longer own- a Pontiac Grand Am. Next to these cards were forms related to when I did jury service. Much of what I did was move things around, like tourist brochures into a different box in another room, or to a strong box with other valued documents. Some forms were shredded though. And now I have a small stack of forms I would like to get into sheet protectors and in a binder. But I will need more sheet protectors, and I usually just get the smallest pack, 10 sheets.
   In the evening I went to a comedy show I performed at, the venue was the Hexagon Bar in Minneapolis. I did jokes about being accident prone, a ring bearer, words that make me laugh, wine and dine me, scaring people at the Soap Factory, and an annoying office colleague.
   School bouncer and Worthington were on Channel 11 after the late news, discussing the Vikings game. Worthington was funny when making a comment about healing people with leeches. Just as funny was how the next program was about elk hunting. I heard about it after getting back from the comedy show by checking Facebook.
   At the comedy show tonight, International Falls did ones about giving up casual sex, Mother's Day, social work, and a dog rescue. Perkins did ones about the same sweater, Under Armor,  and meeting his lady's cat. Resistable did ones about how much cats eat, a restaurant in Las Vegas, hair too red for Target, adopt a highway, strip clubs in Iowa, and a candlelight vigil. Nurses aide did ones about dating advice, doing laundry, bus conversations, and a retirement plan. Blind Side did ones about a lost ATM card, avoiding high school classmates, his lady doing impressions, and sex like sumo wrestling. Pizza Philosopher did ones about delivering pizza at Planned Parenthood, a check
engine light, and how the machines take over. Red-faced comic did ones about Coldplay, a fake $10 bill, and can you not tip? The frontwoman for a local band started off with one about the noose hanging from the ceiling near the stage. Others were about being followed on Spotify, may I wrap your pizza? and wearing plaid.

Lucinda Williams Concert

   I went to see the Lucinda Williams concert tonight at First Avenue in Minneapolis. It was the first of two shows. I did hear some songs I recognized, like the title song from 'Essence' as I have that CD. Like most tours the purpose is to promote the new album, plenty of songs from it were played. One of them was about the West Memphis 3, the teenagers wrongfully convicted of murder. The drummer was a beast, often given solos to show off his craft. I had a can of Pabst there, and got a First Avenue bumper sticker for a dollar. After the show I had somebody send me a private message on Facebook saying he saw me there but never got close enough to say hi. He may have been on the floor standing, a place I didn't want to be as I would have been surrounded. I liked walking around a lot during the show, and when I stopped to stand and look straight ahead at the show it was on the upper level. It was my second show at this venue, the first was Jimmy Eat World over three years ago. Lucinda did speak of one song being an adaptation of one of her dad's poems, he was a poet who performed at the inauguration for President Clinton. At the end of the show she spoke of getting married on this stage before. There were souvenirs available besides just ones with the venue's name on it, but it was mainly CDs or shirts and none of it appealed to me. I didn't have the two CDs on sale there, but I already had two.
  Earlier in the day I went to use a Kohl's coupon I got in the mail and got 2 pairs of socks- one was Star Wars and the other Spider Man. It did remind me of wearing a Spider Man shirt in my school pictures in kindergarten.    

Bypass Corporate

     I went to an Erbert Gerbert sandwich shop at midday and heard a call. So I had to ask about what was meant by closing the store on a phone call. I was told it was at a nearby location, in the St. Paul skyway, not the one I was at. I said I had switched locations I was visiting as there was a problem with visits not registering on my loyalty card. This is when the manager said he was able to bypass corporate and have them added at the store.
   It was a good evening as usual at the comedy club.  Tortoise did ones about big boy needles, Chicken Kiev, U2, a bus survey, candy corn, and Fonzie. Fantasia did ones about Pawn America, paying half of rent, and locked keys in the car. International Falls did ones about extra birth control pills, giving up casual sex, spooning in a porta pottie, social work and art, and eating a placenta. Morton Salt did one about teaching Korean. Michigan did ones about Zac Brown, and the Garden State soundtrack. Laundry did one about finding a tooth. A lady comic with dread locks did ones about a sampler platter, and jalapenos. A comic I know from working at 10k laughs did one about turkey steroids. I know him for wearing a Nebraska hoodie, just says the state name so it is not necessarily in reference to the college in Lincoln and their sports teams who are known as the Cornhuskers. Extra murder did ones about a nativity scene, the Yule Log show, the movie 'Seven', 3 wise men, and the little drummer boy. One comic was from St. Louis. Mr. Pibb did ones about 3 men with the same name, a tap on the shoulder, gun shot noises at rap concerts, nerds being the new misogynists, muscles ruin a back tattoo, and Spider-Man.

Peroni Beer

   I had Thanksgiving dinner in the early afternoon at a Buca Di Beppo restaurant about a mile from my home, so I walked to the place. I drank Peroni beer with the meal, an Italian beer I haven't had too often. Some might be surprised to hear how I spent the holiday, but I don't mind being a lone wolf at all. I have been one for a while. And as I said to the bartender at the comedy club a day earlier, it just didn't seem like proper etiquette to try to invite myself anywhere so I saw nothing wrong with largely keeping my plans to myself. Another thing I said about it was that some might hear about it later and said I would have invited you, but it would be much easier to say this after the fact. The server was trying to upsell a few things to me, but all I ordered besides the traditional Thanksgiving meal was some garlic bread. There was 12 pieces, I ate 3 there. I liked knowing there was an individual meal available, as the next size after this was 'Serves three'. Near the end she said to me how it looks like I could have eaten even more, and I said I am almost full and haven't seen the pumpkin pie yet. I am thankful I made a reservation, as the place was hopping when I got there. I haven't eaten at this restaurant chain too often before, I can recall one time before and that is when I was in a relationship. I do tend to eat at sit-down restaurants more when dating, otherwise I like to keep it simple and go to a sandwich shop or fast food place.
   I had some chips while I was watching the lead-off football game, Bears-Lions. I left for the restaurant near the end of the first half, the Bears were leading but they were way behind when I got back. I fell asleep so I missed the ending of the game. At first I had a hard time finding the next game, Eagles-Cowboys, I think due to the tuning on my TV being a little suspect. So I watched two editions of the game show 'Jeopardy'. After this I found the second game. Before the first game began I watched some DVDs appropriate for the season, the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special and then the movie 'Planes Trains and Automobiles'. I like road movies a lot. I didn't watch much of the third game, Seahawks-49ers, as I wanted to do other things like watch two episodes of 'Big Bang Theory'. The syndicated rerun was when Raj worked for Sheldon. The primetime episode also appeared to be a rerun. It had a Thanksgiving theme, it was when Penny invited Zach over to get annulment papers signed. After this I took a walk around the neighborhood. I had a big meal at midday so I was fine with not eating much in the evening. I had some more of the garlic bread I brought home from the restaurant, and I drank some orange juice as well. Not much to pick up on this walk, since there is plenty of snow on the ground. One of the things I did pick up was a quarter, from the series one state quarters. It was the Florida edition. When I got back I listened to one of two Lucinda Williams CDs I bought recently at Cheapo to get primed for the concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis, it is in two days. It was 'Car wheels on a gravel road', the older of two CDs I have. 'Concrete and barbed wire' sounded familiar to me for some reason.

Acorn Treats

    I went to the comedy club tonight and the headliner had acorn treats. They were really sweet. It included a Nutter Butter as well as butterscotch. I had just two of them, there was a Ziploc bag full of these treats. It was Conga line comic, feature was Auto correct. Rut-roh was MC, and a guest set from Laundry. Auto correct did ones about get a life alert, taking 17 years to complete a college degree, doesn't like babies, Jack Daniel's, Ladies Nights, taking an acting class, and a life coach.  Conga Line did ones about not being a paper boy, a chocolate turkey party favor, Williston, ND, Salma Hayek, Kenny G, skip rocks, fair weather fan, get a garage, Subway, a German exchange student, dog walking, clown car at dog park, and a seeing eye person.
    I liked finding more versions of the song 'Dyer maker' on Youtube. I already knew about Lady Gaga's- as Stefani Germanotta. Others were by Sheryl Crow, 311, and Cidade Negra. It is hard to top Led Zeppelin's, especially the vigorous drumming in it. But Sheryl did have a nice touch, using an accordion.
   I met a man while waiting for the bus tonight who was wearing an Atlanta 1996 Olympic coat. He liked to talk sports but often would hesitate when he talked.    

The Better Angels Movie

     I saw the movie 'Better Angels' at the Lagoon in Minneapolis in the afternoon. I had hoped to have lunch at an Applebee's but knew I didn't make it there in time to wait for food to be ordered and prepared. So I just continued on to a Popeye's chicken near the movie theater. This movie was about Abraham Lincoln as a youngster in Indiana. Not much is written about his time there, more is written about his life later on in Illinois. I was familiar with many of the themes in it, like during this time his mom died and his dad remarried. I liked how it was filmed in black and white. It was tough to see his character being whipped with a stick from a tree, even if it was mostly just hearing it. But I know this was common as discipline for a while. The scenery was good, like showing the cornfields when they were working in them, as well as the school he attended. It started out with an image from the Lincoln memorial in Washington, DC, and some of the story was told by a narrator, Lincoln's cousin.
   Before leaving for the movie I watched one at home, 'Rachel Papers'. James Spader is in it. I recalled ads for this one on Cinemax, so I had wanted to see it for years. And I watched my copy of  the Charlie Brown special about Halloween, 'Great Pumpkin'. And of course in the evening I went to the comedy club.
    At the comedy club tonight, D.C. did ones about being 9 months sober, AA meetings, it's not just on me, a drug test cup, and rating nausea. Mason City did ones about taekwondo, a cookie jar,  Chihuahua life skills, sea shells in Jamaica, James Brown music, and a dirty text message. Perkins did ones about a zombie apocalypse, Steve Buscemi, a woman wearing the same sweater, a Dallas Buyer's Club body, and meeting her cat. Ex-TSA did ones about Buffalo, NY, Fat Albert, what TSA means, and Big Mac. The nurses aide did ones about dating advice, doing laundry, and riding the bus. Morton Salt did one about teaching Korean. A comic with family from Greece did ones about a conman pun, and an expensive tow.  The MC was somebody I had seen perform when I visited St. Louis before. The big dog did ones about Christian Mingle, car salesmen, seeing a dead body, and taking things for granted. The Breck graduate did one about Las Vegas. Netflix did ones about being a circus lawyer, Beyoncé not available, dried up eggs, could be welding, ice cream for breakfast, girl's girl, Jane Goodall, Sesame Street, and awkward at potluck.  

The Announcement

     I went to the comedy club tonight and one of the comics announced the grand jury decision from suburban St. Louis at the end of his set, the D.C. native. When I was driving home from the club I listened to Christmas music as one radio station is exclusively playing it for the season. I did get an email about helping with my employer's holiday party, but I am unable to attend the informational meeting as I am out of the office on Tuesday. So I will have to find out how much I am able to help when I return to the office.
    At the comedy club tonight, there was an MC in training. He did ones about it just felt right, studio apartment, sausage fest, and a dick-pic text. The opera singer did ones about being a bartender, music school, sex-education delay, and a cat swallowing a condom. Mr. Pibb did ones about a pet named Hooch, and a tap on the shoulder. D.C. did ones about being 9 months sober, rating nausea, 7-up all over you, and the Japan embassy. Laundry did ones about having 4 kids, and his wife saying she would squat it out. Pottery barn did ones about nursing a beer, he's engaged, different people, Bible without deodorant, and private eye, see a doctor! Fever did one about a hot tub at a hotel. 'Extra murder' did ones about elementary school in Kentucky, the fireplace show, don't open the box, and it's a globe. Maryland did ones about Columbus Day and a pilgrim, a date with a trannie, ordering on Amazon, and yoga pants. University accountant did ones about a candy dish lady, White Castle, Subway Jared pants, and her husband's navel. A visitor from Florida did ones about going bankrupt, and a waffle maker at the hotel. School bouncer did ones about purple at a funeral, a vest on clearance, single sex, and a pie at 1:30am. Perkins did ones about a text from his lady, Catcher in the Rye, her cat, and seeing 'Hunger Games'. Worthington did ones about his dad's retirement hobbies, organic socks, guy with a barbed wire tattoo, and emotional torment from a raccoon. Tetris did ones about like my sweater, boat names, breakup songs, and a vagrant in California. Bathtub did ones about a gladiator fan, white water rafting, gourmet pizza, stolen babies, a lava lamp, a pug in a baby carriage, a serial killer, and cinnamon rolls on turkey day.  

Stolen Dance Song, Milky Chance

    Recently I heard a song on the radio that I think is catchy. It is 'Stolen Dance' by Milky Chance. 'We don't talk about it, do the boogie all night long' were the memorable lyrics. Sometimes I am in the mood for this kind of song, it is folksy.
   It was a busy day for errand running for a while. I did dishes in the morning, and in the afternoon I went to do laundry. I was asked if I worked there, because I was cleaning out the lint traps. No, I know the dryers work better when these are cleaned out. My third stop was to the library to print things. I made it there just minutes before closing, but it was enough time to accomplish what I set out to do.  Somebody spotted my Iowa Hawkeyes coat at closing time and we spoke for a while, though we were from different parts of the state and different generations so we did not know the same people. She spoke of the Davenport area a lot. I tried to keep up with all of the subjects being discussed, one of them was how she is divorced and her son had died of cancer. Eventually the employees turned out the lights on us and I said to her it was a sign they wanted us to leave. She also spoke of Little Falls, as a history major I said I had been there before as the Lindbergh home and Camp Ripley is there. And of course Ripley has a museum.  
   I had hoped to get to a movie in the evening, after 'The Simpsons', but it was not to be. It is an art movie at the Lagoon in Minneapolis, so there are limited show times available. I can move it back to Tuesday, I have this day off. I called my dad in the evening while watching a football game, Cowboys-Giants. I said we need to end the call as I was getting beeped for a low battery, we had been on the line for just over an hour by then.   

Way Better Sweet Potato Chips

     Tonight I was back at the Soap Factory in Minneapolis for a volunteer party. There was plenty of pizza, 25 boxes in all. Some was vegan, and some was meat. I had 2 slices of pepperoni. There also was plenty of little bags of chips, sweet potato, made by Way Better snacks. I decided to claim 3 bags of these and will try to eat them soon. I claimed one bag after my shift of scaring people at the Haunted Basement 3 weeks ago. It took a while, but I finally saw my contribution to the slide show, 15 photos from the event. I was told there were about two thousand in the slide show. Mine were at the absolute end, and when it got to the one of the grocery cart full of chips it just stopped. There was a keg of Summit Beer, and I had a cup of it.
  The day started early with a visit to McDonald's for an Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich. Then I got on the bus to work as overtime was being offered. I arrived shortly after 9:30am and left to get the bus again just after 2pm. I accomplished what I wanted to, logging out 3 pages of sold accounts for the special project after pulling the documents. The total number of documents was comparable to what I logged out for Monday, our highest volume day. The boss ordered pizza, and around 1pm it arrived. I had 3 slices, pepperoni and sausage. It was from Pizza Luce, the kind from the Soap Factory party I am not sure but it was some other place. After I got home I checked the paper and found out the Iowa-Wisconsin football game was on local TV, on ABC. So I started watching it when it was tied 3-3 near the end of the 1st quarter. It was 16-3 Wisconsin at halftime and they went on to win 26-24.  I wanted to get some errand running done before going to the Soap Factory, so early in the 4th quarter I went to the grocery store and missed 2 touchdowns even though I was away for just a short time.  

Rain King, Counting Crows

    Tonight I heard 'Rain King' by Counting Crows when I was driving home from the comedy club. I have the CD it is on, 'August and everything after'. I like the lyrics about 'Been here before and I deserve a little more'. In a Youtube video it does show various images of rain. I do like rain songs for some reason, like 'Live Forever' by Oasis which mentions the morning rain. I think Avril Lavigne and Maroon 5 also have some rain songs. And then there is 'Here comes the rain again', by the Eurythmics. At midday I liked hearing 'Rearview Mirror' by Pearl Jam while eating a sandwich at Erbert Gerbert. Also at Erbert Gerbert, I proved by going to another location that there is a problem with their loyalty program. I liked going to the skyway location, staying inside. But the visits weren't registering when my card was run. So I went to another location nearby and this one was fine. So it is either faulty equipment or an incompetent employee at the other one.
   When I got off the bus this evening I probably annoyed a few people when I decided to pick up some loose change near the door. It was a dime and a penny. Eventually the driver asked if I had got it, and I had. On the way to the comedy club I had some trouble with a gas pump at Super-America. I would run my loyalty card and Visa card and then it would say 'See cashier' after entering my zip code. After I went inside about it I had somebody accompany me on the third attempt, and then it went through no problem so I said the machine had made a liar out of me.
   At the comedy club tonight, Mr. Pibb did ones about a fat nerd gets ripped, back tattoo. stating the facts, and quarterly budget meeting. Red-faced comic did ones about trying to quit drinking, 'I turned out fine, a cycle' and new vegetarians. Software developer did ones about 'it's me, not the bear', along with picnic basket and unicycle. Fantasia did ones about playing dead for 3 days, locked keys in car, and lock picking school. A young comic did one about a can opener. Worthington did ones about Taylor Swift's '1989', bar purgatory, human barbed wire tattoo, emotional torment from a raccoon, dead birds on video camera, and his dad's retirement hobbies- knives and alcohol. A comic I haven't seen in a while did one about journalism school, one of my Facebook pictures from the comedy marathon is of him. The bartender did ones about quitting drinking, and 'taco-cat'. Long straw did ones about Baja Men songs and an Amber Alert at Barnes and Noble. Perkins did ones about a text from his lady, Catcher in the Rye, Tuskegee experiments, meeting her cat, and his dad- scarecrow from Batman.   

Denis Leary Comedy CD

    I had the day off from work, and listened to some CDs as I was a little behind. One of them was by Denis Leary, 'No cure for cancer'. After hearing it I recalled it being played by a friend when I was in college. Because of the part about going back to Vietnam but this time not filming a movie. Others were memorable because they were on MTV, like the parts about drugs. Or the one about the REM song 'Shiny happy people'. High energy, would have to grouped with Sam Kinison, also since both would be considered politically incorrect. It is nice to hear different comedy styles. This was bought last month at Cheapo in St. Paul. Not many comedy CDs there, but there may be a few others I will consider getting on my next visit. I recalled one by George Carlin being there, I know he was no doubt influential. And I listened to some music CDs, two from Everclear, 'So much for the afterglow', and 'Songs from an American movie volume one'.
   Much like two days ago, I didn't leave my home much. I went out at midday to eat a Subway sandwich. Then I went over to the Family Dollar and looked at the music and movies, but nothing interested me. It just reminded me of the ones I recently bought and haven't watched or listened to yet. I heard one patron who was getting kind of loud, swearing and spoke of how she hadn't been drunk since the Zombie Pub Crawl. This is in October if I am not mistaken. She left right after mention of the Pub Crawl, and apparently this was to the delight of the store employees. In some ways it reminds me of getting an oil change at a Jiffy Lube, where one employee said the guy lives in the neighborhood. Sadly, every place seems to have 'The town drunk'.
   Since it is still cold and snowy outside, I was fine with staying in for all of this evening. It meant preparing the Tuna Helper I bought at the Rainbow Foods liquidation sale. I think it was the last of the food items from there, still have some non-food items like trash bags and toilet paper. I hadn't eaten Tuna Helper in a while, I know I did this more before I started doing stand-up comedy 6 years ago. I like how it doesn't take all that long to prepare, and it is two servings so I can have more tomorrow.
   I saw two episodes of 'Big Bang Theory' tonight. The syndicated rerun was where Sheldon couldn't decide what kind of electronics to buy, so he and Amy Farrah Fowler were in the store at closing time. The prime time episode was about Sheldon deciding to end the Fun With Flags show, then it looks like he will continue it since somebody commented online. LeVar Burton was guest star, not the first time he had been on the show.
  I got an email about the ticket orders I placed for the Pan-Am Games in Toronto next summer, looks like I am getting all three events. This would be two baseball sessions and one boxing session. It directed me to go to my Ticketmaster account.    

Send Cheer, Holiday Stamps

    I got a mailer from the postal service, addressed to 'Postal customer', today. It said 'Don't forget your holiday stamps', which can be found at your nearest post office or at the Send Cheer website. One of them is of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I think I would want some of these. I had previously worked for Montgomery Ward and they took pride in how Rudolph was created there.
   I got two shout outs at the comedy club tonight. One of them spoke of the balcony critics from the Muppet show, who as a kid I called Siskel and Ebert. I later found out they were Statler and Waldorf.
This was from the MC, who was Laundry. I think it was in response to a Siri phone app joke where I said I had seen Big Bang Theory, as there is an episode of 'Bang' where Raj thinks he is dating his phone. He also did ones about dog whistles and roundabouts. A comic I saw act in a Bryant Lake Bowl show did one about pointing out the empty chairs in the front row. Locks of Love did ones about Let it Snow towels, Monica Lewinsky, Dad returning a greeting card, and an 8-day marriage. Bus fare did ones about don't poop in this bar, sandwich philosophy like Forrest Gump, and music during sex. Ding Dong did ones about a girl in China at a KFC, a cheeseball tub, and her feet hurt. Magic Man did ones about 'that was not us', rainbows and puppies, stealing a sign, and the other shout-out in reference to a show called 'Dexter'. The Godmother did ones about a bucket list, Byerly's Grocery Store, Up and Up brand at Target, carnies and funnel cake, Thanksgiving at restaurants, cats in a stroller, a dog food store, and meet real men. Software developer did ones about look for the bear, and his daughter having nightmares. Long Straw did ones about Karaoke, Baja Men, the band that did the song 'who let the dogs out?', and a Cubs urn. Lunch lady did ones about living near the airport, being married to a cat guy, and state fair food.

Muddlers, Not Baseball Bats

    When I arrived at the comedy club tonight, I had to ask what was at the bar. As a big baseball fan I said they looked like sawed-off baseball bats. I was informed they were muddlers, according to a quick check online this tool helps with making mixed drinks.
   I left my home just twice today, since I had the day off from work. The first time was to eat at Taco Bell at midday, and the other was of course the comedy club. I got plenty of little things done by staying in, like ordering a ticket for the Bears-Vikings football game next month. I got an email saying no fees for 48 hours on orders. I responded to some movie theater surveys, and got started on two more loyalty programs- for JC Penney and for a movie theater chain. Also notable was calling about a medical bill, for services rendered back in March. I still don't understand why their billing department is still fumbling around with it. I had a certificate stating it was free to me, then last night I get a bill for reading the scan. Even though I sent them the certificate by fax back in July, months ago. After being on hold for a while, I was told the wrong code was used to bill my employer. I got
the certificate at work from winning a drawing, and they would try again, disregard what I was sent.
   After the comedy show, I finally got 15 photos uploaded to Dropbox for the Soap Factory volunteer banquet this weekend. I was given the login information, a fairly painless process to go there. I just needed to wait for each one to load completely.  I am also pleased with seeing the sketches from The Turkeys comedy troupe, the big dog tagged me on one this afternoon. I said I liked how he made me look even more menacing.
   At the comedy club tonight, Grizzly Adams was MC. He did ones about football player Joe Montana, adult super-stores, the cost of a PBR, huffing spray paint, $5 and chap-stick, and getting a dollar of gas. Ex-Navy did ones about Turkey Day, biting nails, birthday mop, and hoarding toenail clippings. Resistable did ones about a hipster roommate, a drum set, air mattress, Applebee's and Nicki Minaj, and he was big like a waterbed. Long straw did ones about Baja-Men songs, and a Cubs urn. The rapper did ones about the Vikings stadium windows, and playing high school football. Big dog did ones about why the staring?, Christian Mingle, and a furniture store. He also helped me with a joke about a faithful watchdog. Pottery Barn did ones about the Bible without deodorant, doesn't need more confidence, nursing a beer, and we are different, it's how people work. Hillary look-alike did ones about Subway sandwiches, Harry Potter, hey buddy, not bulimic, Jimmy John's, and a Brazil wax. Red-faced comic did ones about 'mom calls them whack-jobs', they are affirmations, a hotel room comforter, and cheeseburgers. Bathtub did ones about a lava lamp and 42 hamsters, apartment in a doll factory, dog in clothes, and goggles, a cat would murder you. Turtle check did ones about Clint Eastwood watching Batman, hemorrhoid cream, drunk changing password, work him out tonight, changed shapes, Xanax and box wine, dating himself, shooting range, a car like an ex, and the swear word.

Dumb And Dumber Coaster

     At the comedy club tonight, I let another comic know I didn't make it in time to get signed up but I still stayed for the show. I was given their contact information, written on a beer coaster advertising the movie 'Dumb and Dumber'. It took longer than expected to get my car warmed up, it was stuck in second gear at first. After stopping at a Super-America for the evening meal, I let it warm up some more before leaving again.
   At work the notable thing was getting two visitors to my cube. This is not typical. One was asking about the letters I do, and I said notes show no mention of one being sent. Later on the request was there and I completed it by the end of the day. The other was somebody wanting a lien release, I sent them to document release though it was late in the day and just one member of the department was available to help them.
   I am still trying to get photos sent for the volunteer banquet this weekend at the Soap Factory. I decided to pare it from 25 to 15, but when I tried to email them it was taking too long. I think this was due to the files being too big, and I started off with just four! I asked about sending them to their
Dropbox account, will hope to hear more soon.
    At the comedy club, I was in the bathroom and was asked if I was nervous. I said I am not on the list. I was advised to just hop on stage. I responded by saying that is now how it works. After the show I asked the school bouncer about a rap song he was reciting. He told me who the performer was, I later found out the spelling made a difference. It was Big Boi and I was trying to look up Big Boy. The Hillary Clinton look-alike did ones about Subway, Harry Potter, and a Brazil wax. Jersey video did one about a mustache, and 20 years. Tortoise and hare did one about the actor known as the Rock. Another was about the Gap clothing store. International Falls did ones about cat costumes and street harassers. Red-faced comic did ones about cheeseburgers, and a nun. The nurse's aide did ones about the wrong stage, tattoos, a chest exam, and a back rub. Laundry did ones about scones, his wife giving birth, and a roundabout. School bouncer did ones about a kid in a field with invisible friends, and the movie 'Blind Side'. Tetris did ones about a Kardashian, and Bon Jovi. Perkins did one about his lady sending a text message. University accountant did ones about hopscotch, and the fast food chain known as Wendy's. Maryland did one about ordering from Amazon. A visitor from Florida did one about filing for bankruptcy. Sub teacher did ones about Labor Day in China, and his sexual president joke. 'Extra murder' did ones about a duck gun, voting, and the 'Yule Log' show. Bathtub did ones about a lava lamp, a petting zoo, and stolen babies. Three times three did one about wedding vows.

Whiplash Movie

    Tonight I went to see the movie 'Whiplash' in Eagan. I got another loyalty card while there, so it means registering it. In one word, this movie was intense. Seeing the blood, sweat and tears (literally) is why the movie deserves this word. I felt a little stunned, and exhausted, due to the intensity. I thought I had prepared for it by reading a review in the Minneapolis paper from last month, where the conductor, played by JK Simmons, was described as a Bobby Knight type. It was worth seeing, for me at least, but not for everyone. Probably not for my dad, since he is not a Bob Knight fan at all. It held my interest, and this is one reason why I said it was a little exhausting as I have said it about watching hockey before. Since I am afraid of missing something as the action moves quickly. As a performer I understood the part about making sacrifices to be a performer. I do like Jason Reitman movies, and even though Reitman didn't direct it he is listed as an executive producer. Coupled with how I like to listen closely to the drummers in songs, I knew I would be seeing this movie soon after seeing some previews two nights ago. I wasn't caught by surprise when I saw what happened when the drummer was running late getting to a gig. I liked seeing Paul Reiser in it as I am reminded of a rap/comedy act called Valley Meadows where they have a dance called 'Do the Paul Reiser'. There are not many women in it, but since it is about how competitive music can be this didn't surprise me. 
   I watched the Bears-Vikings football game in the early afternoon, Bears won despite trailing 10-0 early on. After it was done I watched a Redbox movie I got from McDonald's just before the game began, it was 'Million ways to die in the west'. I used a code for a free day as it was expiring soon. There were a lot of jokes about the West in it, I saw it as this movie was promoted at the comedy club in May when it was about to be released to theaters. The references to 19th century historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Foster did remind me of another Western, a silent movie called 'Covered Wagon', based on a book by Emerson Hough, my inspiration as a writer. In a scene where he met up with some Indians I was wondering how much of what he spoke was gibberish since I did hear what sounded like 'Mila Kunis', the name of an actress, when the subtitles said 'Fine'. Not a big fan of Seth Macfarlane, but I do like Charlize Theron as well as Sarah Silverman, the leading ladies.

Soap Factory Anniversary

   I attended the Soap Factory 25th anniversary event tonight. Volunteers were needed, and I like getting in free to events. At first I was asked to pick up empty drink glasses and send them to the dishwasher. Eventually it meant sweeping up and collapsing folding tables as well as moving folding chairs into a corner out of the way. I picked up three coins while sweeping, a total of 12 cents. We filled three laundry bags full of the linens from the tables. There were silent auction items, but they were out of my price range or I don't have the space to display them in my home. I recognized an event coordinator from doing the haunted house two weeks ago. I said I felt bad seeing her sweep in her outfit, but I found out she was on duty as well. She had a tight-fitting dress on with sheer parts for the arms and shoulders. At first I didn't recognize what was depicted on the back of the dress, but had to look at it from a distance. It was no problem recognizing the gear from a machine, this was the 'Bottom circle'. I couldn't understand what the 'Top circle' was, then realized it all was meant to depict a skull. It was a black outfit and the circles were white. There was some food left at the end of the night, but it was snack foods. I had a little lemon bar and peanut butter bars. I am thankful I ate a burrito before departing for the event. I arrived just after 9pm and I had about an hour before I was actually on duty. So I did plenty of picture taking after placing my coat in a back office. There was live music, and I did dance a little.
    It was a busy day even before the evening. I went to a sports bar and saw the Iowa football game, they beat Illinois 30-14.  After some time at the library I tried to go see a movie but the slow traffic due to weather didn't help, coupled with a closed road. I ended up at a Cheapo Records shop, and got 3 CD's, two of them were by Lucinda Williams. I am seeing her show at First Avenue in two weeks. The other was Eminem's 'Recovery' CD, it has collaborations with Pink, and Rihanna.  

Broken Beer Bottle

    I went to the comedy club tonight, and noticed there was a broken beer bottle near my table. I ended up picking up the lion's share of the shards. It appeared to be a Corona bottle. At first I just saw the neck, and then after the show I moved the table to see if there was more, and there was. It went well performing, I tried plenty of new jokes. I had 5 on my list, and did all but one- didn't do the ones about internet dating. I did the ones about the annoying coworker, scaring people on Halloween weekend, wine and dine me, and the guy I met at a free movie.
   Tetris did ones about Kardashian jokes, and taste buds. Michigan did ones about a secret sex party, catcall video, and not living with his lady. Perkins did one about a text from his lady, Catcher in The Rye, and senior pictures on the railroad tracks. Maryland did ones about orgies, girl at the gas station, ordering on amazon, condo, and cat burglar. Fantasia did ones about you've won I'm here, and paying rent. The rapper did ones about buying a motorcycle, mad men, and poetry is rap that doesn't curse. Bus fare did ones about sandwiches, and music during sex. Grizzly Adams did ones about Batman Returns, picking up strangers, the cost of a PBR, schools with commercials, not using condoms, and Wizard of Oz. Laundry did ones about scones, comparison to giving birth, and roundabouts. Pottery barn did ones about the Bible without deodorant, nursing beer, that's how people work, he's engaged, and owns a 'loofa'. The 'Extra murder' comic did ones about voices in your head, existential crisis due to college degree, your dreams are stupid, why is Waldo, a Music Man reference, and those 'I voted' stickers. International Falls did ones about cat costumes, giving up casual sex, what waiting for the bus is like, street harasser, Long Island teas, and rip out IUD. The D.C. native did ones about being 9 months sober, his lady falling down the stairs, and her toenail at the ER. Happy meal did ones about being fired from his restaurant job, I tagged Olive Garden, rub men with Ben-Gay, fired for a dick joke, and where is the racist guy? He ripped this guy.         

Bankstas Movie

    I had the day off from work, using up vacation days before year-end. I went to see a free movie in Mounds View, 'Bankstas'. It was about recent college grads working at an investment bank trying to stop a crooked deal involving student loans. Alan Thicke, from 'Growing Pains', was in it as the boss man. As my dad would say, the boss's son was one you're not supposed to like. I was just one of three watching the movie. I saw it with somebody I had met at another free movie early this year. We had talked on Facebook a little since then, but that was all until today. Having attended college I am quite familiar with student loans, so doing a movie about it was appropriate. Most memorable will be the attractive Grace Lynn Kung, who played Diane. She was one of the two lady employees at the office.
According to IMDB, she was also in 'Blue State', which I saw as a Blockbuster rental. It was about those who said they wanted to move to Canada when they didn't like the results of an election. I would call this movie I just saw a 'Farce', since it had a ridiculous and unlikely storyline. According to Grace's Wikipedia page this movie was also called 'Cubicle Warriors'. My movie friend said it reminded him of 'Secret of my success', a movie from the 1980s starring Michael J. Fox.  I had seen it so the reference wasn't lost on me. And it was a fair correlation.
    In the evening when I got back from the movie I saw two episodes of 'Big bang theory'. The syndicated rerun was one where Raj and Stuart tried to talk to people at the mall. The prime time episode was one where Raj's parents split up and Leonard has surgery related to his snoring. Sheldon did not approve of it. I also got caught up on things, like getting more business cards in the binder, as well as more full pages in sheet protectors in another binder. I also listened to a friend's comedy CD, the Wisconsin guy. Some of the jokes I had heard before, just not in a while. Others I hadn't heard at all. I recognized the MC introducing him was the 'Extra murder' comic. I really liked the joke about the seagulls at JC Penney. Another good one I had heard before, it was the one comparing two people in different cultures saying 'I can't live like this'. And I liked one about a woman falling at the mall. Another thing I did related to comedy was get a look at the 'Ring of honor' photos I had printed. I upload them onto my Facebook page, and I print all of them and frame them. Except I haven't framed any in a while. There are nearly 50 comics in it now, so I have run out of space on the table where I write, as well as on top of the refrigerator. So it made sense to just place these prints in a photo album now. I also eliminated the backlog on the postcards I had bought recently, they are also now in albums. Before leaving for the movie, I ate lunch at Super-America and used a 2 for 1 coupon at Dairy Queen. I liked knowing I still could get a pumpkin spice Blizzard treat, even though it is no longer the flavor of the month. I have seen a movie ad tonight more than once- Whiplash, it spoke of the two worst words being good job.   

Lap Dance Room

    At the comedy club tonight, the godmother made an observation onstage about the curtains being open and normally they aren't. She said it must be a 'Room for a lap dance'. During the show I went to take a look at it, pleased to find some art on the wall. Didn't want to be too big of a distraction so I told myself not to do photos at that time. I meant to do photos after the show but spoke with the big dog instead, he was show closer. I said I had seen one of The Turkeys sketches from the link on Facebook where he tagged me. It made me laugh seeing the water cooler full of Scotch, a brilliant idea. He said I was in some others, and after being given a tip I did find a later episode I am in. It was well edited, and I like how menacing I look even when not speaking. I also reviewed the photos in my main Facebook album and decided to take down four of them. I still have over two hundred in the album. Since this is a high volume I understand the importance of quality as to which ones are kept.
   At work the bus was late getting us into downtown this morning, a detour due to an event. We did Wii dancing in the afternoon. This included a Bollywood song, as well as one called a 'Jamaican dance' if I am not mistaken. We also did the one from last week that was in Spanish, it was reggae.
    The godmother also did ones about yoga at church, dead people clothes at Goodwill, buying a Jeep, expensive midlife crisis, bucket list, tennis in Edina, and JV landscaping. Perkins did one about a text from his lady. Others were about Catcher in The Rye, pictures on railroad track, quit acting like yourself, emotional terrorist, park wedding in South Dakota, and just wanted to dance. The rapper did ones about being a stay at home dad, buying a motorcycle, poetry being rap that doesn't curse, and the new Vikings stadium. Capital city did ones about winter boots not a mile, and working with a jannie. Maryland did one about orgies. Others were about a girl at the gas station, radioactive shrimp, and ordering on Amazon. The big dog did ones about a die for is lady song, by Bruno mars. Others were about dishwasher and rake leaves, voice impression of his dad, life coach is above bikini inspector, and a sex dream while around his in-laws. Perkins called me king Friday.
   Ding dong was MC, and did one about her second kid. The teen doesn't talk, a dollar from the college fund, and animated Japanese porn were others. A comic I hadn't seen in a while did one about looking like a young Rosie O'Donnell. Others were about women doing the towel turban, and his sister using frying pans.  Resistable did one about not knowing cats ate that much. Others were about hair too red for Target, and dating a dentist. Morton Salt did ones about learning Minnesota nice from road rage, and a child soldier in Sudan. Pottery barn did one about nursing a beer, and I got a shout-out. He is engaged, that's how people work, paranoid delusion, liking superheroes, a dominatrix reference, and seeing a private eye were the others.                

Pitbull And Captain Kangaroo

     When I arrived at the comedy club tonight, I spoke of concerts I had bought tickets for. One of them is Lucinda Williams, at First Avenue later this month. The other is Pitbull, and Mason City said Pitbull reminds him of Captain Kangaroo, I guess because of the outfit. I had to ask after the show as I was unable to write it down right away. I guessed a Muppet and then said I must have been thinking of it as both are children's entertainers. It went well with me performing tonight. I did the one about my dad and dog catchers, in reference to the recent election. Another was inspired by somebody telling me they don't vote. A third was about what I heard at the haunted house. And since I was wearing the patriotic shirt I did a joke about it as well. I was wearing it on purpose as it is Veterans Day. Then there was seeing somebody on the bus who reminded me of Chewbacca from 'Star Wars', because of their coat.
   A comic, whose brother also does comedy, did ones about selling plasma, Facebook weather complaints, a rescue dog, and who shot JR in Denison, IA. A high-energy comic did ones about being an office temp, a memo on the fax, and a coat rack.  Software developer did one about his daughter's flu shot. A young comic did one about cries to Aladdin, and nobody donates a can opener. I liked hearing two songs tonight: 'Umbrella' by Rihanna, and 'Team' by Lorde. International Falls did one about sexy cat costumes. Others were about giving up casual sex, and caressed hair in a porta pottie. This was followed by street harassed, a police dog poem, and selling an ex's art. A comic I haven't seen in a while did one about having an ex in the Marines, and a fake journalist. He was one of my Facebook photos from the comedy marathon in April. The crow did one about jacket buttons and weed. Others were about movie quotes, a samurai sword, saying 'do it' with a gun, and teen songs.

Gettysburg Museum Catalog

    I get junk mail all the time, but I still look at it before shredding it. Tonight I got a catalog from the Gettysburg museum. I saved one page from it. I am interested in Civil War currency, there are paper as well as parchment sets available. Next to it is a Pickett's Charge puzzle in drum packaging. At the bottom is Mort Kunstler puzzles, including 'Oh, I wish he was ours'. It depicts a man riding a horse, and there is a Confederate flag in the background. At the top is a historic calligraphy set, and then collectible coins like the Iron Brigade. I haven't been to Gettysburg yet, I thought about making it a side trip from Philadelphia but it would have been hard to do logistically.
   I didn't go to the comedy club tonight due to the ice and snow. In the evening I checked my car, took out my shovel and cleared some space around it. I also brushed off the windshield and windows, thinking this may make it easier if I get to the ice kind of early. I tried to get caught up on paperwork, and watched some sitcoms on CBS but I wasn't paying much attention to them. I liked the syndicated rerun of 'Big Bang Theory' as it was one where Bob Newhart was guest star. It was the second one, where he said 'Back off, bow tie' to Bill Nye the science guy.
   At work I saw somebody scorch some popcorn at midday. Eventually they just held the microwave popcorn bag up to the faucet and drowned it. I thought it was an extreme way of handling it. The political science guy said all beer tastes good after 5pm. 

Toys Exhibit, MN History Center

    I went to the Toys Exhibit at the Minnesota History Center this afternoon. I knew it would be wrapping up in January so I didn't want to wait much longer to get there. As I was about to turn in to pay for parking I saw a banner that said there was free admission if a new toy was donated. This program started just a few days earlier. I really liked the exhibit, though I got a little annoyed with one employee who couldn't get his facts straight. He was at a booth that said 'Psychiatric help, five cents' like Lucy from the 'Charlie Brown and Snoopy' comic strip. But it had GI Joe items at this station. He said there weren't any Charlie Brown items at the exhibit, after I was done looking at everything I came back and said there were three. One section had a puzzle with Schroeder the piano player, and a dancing Snoopy. Another had a series of dolls including Belle, Snoopy's sister. The final place had a Charlie Brown doll by itself. As expected, the 'Newer' toys in this exhibit, the ones from the 1970s, I was more familiar with. There was Hungry Hungry Hippos and Bert and Ernie dolls in this section, along with a Speak and Spell, and Star Wars figurines. There was also the game called 'Charge it!', a game my grandma had. In other areas I recognized Tinker Toys, and Tonka Trucks as well as Nerf balls in a 'Garage'. I did learn something, like how there were board games for TV cop Baretta, and for movie spy James Bond. A photo of the Snoopy puzzle was posted on Twitter, as there was a request to share photos there under a specific hash tag. I bought a few items in the gift shop, including a Charlie Brown 'Scan-imation' book. I gave my business card to an employee, found out we knew the same comic, the opera singer is his brother. There was a joke that opera told about his brother being a re-enactor at Ft. Snelling.
   After the exhibit I went to the library to print things, and to write something out before typing my entry. I made the most of my time there, leaving at closing time after being there for over two hours. Then it was on to find the movie theater in Mounds View, as I was informed about free movie tickets there. I had a little trouble finding it, but hadn't been to this town before. It was good to have a dry run before I go there for real, cuts down on the odds of being late. After I was done I got dinner at Super-America. I thought about it after eating there how lunch was also away from home, at a Holiday station. After the evening meal I went to a Walgreen to take care of a photo order. I was adding photos while watching the Bears/Packers Sunday night football game, but didn't play close attention to the game as it was already 21-0 Packers when I turned it on.
   I read the stats about where the blog is being read, amazed that it includes Poland, Turkey, The Ukraine, and Iran. Haven't been to any of these nations.

Atkins Granola Bars

     I went to the Rainbow Foods in West St. Paul for my final visit to their liquidation sale. I bought just 6 items this time as there wasn't much left. Some aisles, actually most, were blocked off. I have already consumed 2 of the 6 items- a bag of BBQ wheat snacks, and a little cup of vanilla ice cream. Of the other four, notable was a box of Atkins granola bars. I had heard of the Atkins diet, but I haven't tried these before. It has 5 bars in the box. These are chocolate chip, and says it is distributed by Atkins nutritionals in Denver. I like knowing there is no sugar in these, as I have been trying to get food with less sugar since it helps with weight control. On the back is mention of other products with this name, including frozen meals, indulgent treats, and creamy shakes. It does direct people to their website to learn more about this diet and all the free tools to help with success in weight loss goals. The other three items were an 8-pack of Reese's peanut butter cups, a box of 4 sticks of Parkay margarine, and a frozen pizza. This is full-sized, the previous ones I was getting were 'For one'.
    In the final analysis, it is no surprise what I saw as patterns from shopping there. I made four visits, once per week. The number of items declined each time- 19, 17, 15, then 6. Although the totals did not decline the same way. It was 31.91, 34.56, 28.39, and 11.40. But for the first two visits most of the items were still just 25% off, and for the third and fourth they were 50%. For visit #2, when the total went up, the total savings was 29%, as two general merchandise items were half-off, batteries and a DVD. I had to look closely at the final register tape, I think it explains why I normally don't get Atkins items. The 5 bars was still nearly $5, and this was half-price! This one item was nearly half the total. I did get a few more photos, but was more careful than before and saw that I did it when no employees were around. Based on past experiences, I found out photos near the check-out lines drew attention, so I didn't try any there. I did get one inside the bathroom after I paid for my order, for some reason I like getting pictures of bathroom fixtures. I am sure some consider it to be art. Also notable- of these four visits, I think this was the only one where the order was put in a paper bag. I don't recall being given a choice between paper and plastic this time, but considering it was a small order and nearing the end of the sale there likely weren't many bags of either kind left. Since most of what I bought was food, it has already been consumed which is what I prefer. The non-food items like the trash bags and shaving supplies will be used soon enough.
   My day started early, going into the office just after 8:30am to do some overtime. I didn't get as far as I wanted, but it's also because I wanted to leave at 10am to get to the Iowa/Minnesota football game which started at 11am. I took the Green Line light rail from downtown and made it about 20 minutes before the game started. Iowa scored the first touchdown, but Minnesota definitely outplayed them after this as Minnesota went on to win 51-14. It was 35-7 at the half. I went into the concourse with less than a minute left in the half, and during that time the Gophers got another touchdown. I had a little Domino's pizza and some bottled water at the half. Veterans Day is in less than a week, so one of the ways it was being acknowledged was giving out American flags on a stick. I did not get one, but I already have five if I am not mistaken. It was tough to see how somebody threw away their flag, I saw it in a trash bin after I had finished my pizza. So I fished it out and hopefully somebody else will claim it. I got a photo of it, hard to do when it was rolled up around the stick in terms of having the flag stay flat for the picture.
   In the evening I went to eat at taco bell, and when I got back I listened to a friend's radio show. The guests were involved with a play at Illusion Theater, 'Disenchanted': a Disney princess musical. And
I heard from a movie friend I met early in the year, on Facebook, about free tickets at a theater in Mounds View. I haven't been to this theater before. Will have to see what works in my schedule. I also inquired about helping out with an anniversary event at the Soap Factory, which is in a week. 

I'll Be Me Movie, Glen Campbell

    This evening I went to see 'I'll be me', a documentary about musician Glen Campbell on his farewell tour as he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Just 2 Twin City theaters were showing it, and I went to Edina to see it, as the other was in the Brooklyns and I don't get up to the north suburbs much. I liked the music part being covered, more so than the non-music part. But I understood the story is being told because of the non-music part. Many musicians were interviewed, it read like a 'Who's who' of country music. Some non-country musicians also were interviewees. Even actor-comedian Steve Martin was part of the fray. After the movie I walked around the mall so I wouldn't be too early for the comedy show, and I hadn't been to this mall in a while, Southdale. I was pleased to find a Ticketmaster outlet, and had just read about some touring Broadway shows coming to the area soon. So I got a ticket for the Motown play for next month. Had to be careful on what day I chose, but I avoided the day of the Bears-Vikings football game even though I don't have a ticket for the game just yet. I had the day off from work so I could attend a Roosevelt mentoring event at the U. of Minnesota. My student didn't say much to me, was more interested in being on his phone, talking to friends, or to other mentors. I let the event coordinator know about this.
    At the comedy club tonight, the nurse's aide did one about a future as a cougar. She can't tell the truth about the weekend to her colleagues, and another was about visible tattoos. The doctor didn't have a good bedside manner when doing a chest exam, it was like a cat wanting attention. Others were about running to the liquor store, and being like an hourglass, related to a pitcher of beer. Fantasia did ones about girls like jerks, and Mickey Mouse smiling politely. Tortoise and hare did one about who grew up in a roundabout?, and because I am an American. Others were about you were there- a Wizard of Oz reference, followed by shopping at the same Gap. Pottery Barn did one about nursing beer, and nipples. Another was about how we're different people, that's how it works. Ragu did one about Comcast customer service. Others were about taking notes on the therapist, and bringing the hip-hop. Extra murder did one about election commercials. Others were about taking a ferry from Michigan, and a Music Man reference. International Falls did one about cat costumes for Halloween. Another was about being street harassed. Happy Meal did one about being fired for posting a photo, but he tagged Olive Garden about it.  

Underground Railroad

    I read about a church in my hometown that is closing soon, Wittemberg Church near Newton, Iowa. It was on the Underground Railroad, one of 13 sites in Iowa with this National Park Service designation, which was just given a few months earlier. I had seen one of these sites before, outside Iowa. This would be the Old Courthouse in St. Louis, near the Gateway Arch. I am hopeful this means the church is preserved in some form, and also gets listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I found out 6 of the other 12 sites in the state are also on the National Register. I will be submitting a letter to the editor about it, as I care about history issues. And it means seeing the site, which also includes a cemetery and Grange Hall, on my next visit to the area.
    I did a walk around the neighborhood after watching Big Bang Theory in the early evening. What I found was much of the typical trash, but also a property tax form. It reminds me of my need to do this form as well. The prime time episode of 'Big Bang' was about a make-up prom, though it became a free-for-all which was kind of expected from a show that is a farce in most episodes. The syndicated rerun had Leonard's mom on it, via webcam, as Penny read the book Leonard's mom wrote which was embarrassing to Leonard as it was a case study of his childhood.   

Pastries And Flu Shots

    This morning there was pastries at my workplace near the guard station helping remind people about flu shots being available in our main conference room. I did have two and was already signed up for an appointment in the afternoon. I liked how no cotton ball and tape was needed after the shot this time. We also had a 'Convention' about a special project which allows us to work overtime on Saturdays. I have a ticket for the Iowa/Minnesota football game this weekend so this limits how much I can do. But I still want to contribute in some form, it may mean showing up before the game.
   At the comedy club tonight, long straw was MC. He did ones about avoiding a woman at a grocery store, and a Cubs urn. International Falls did one about sexy cats for Halloween. Others were about birth control pills in her car, being street harassed, and meeting a wino. Maryland did one about O'Doul's. He does have a dad, and did one about patio drinking and his dog. Another was about a family reunion, is his college education first of third degree? An ex-Navy man did one about Tinder.
Others were about 'don't hurt my friend', and it got weird, after a shout-out. And he doesn't like hypothetical questions, and I don't like them either. The sub teacher did ones about atheist shoes, and Air Darwins. Another was about Labor Day in China, followed by hearing every/ovary at his job. I got shout-outs from the MC and ex-Navy as well, rare to get this many in one night. The Wisconsin guy did one about Obama-care. Others were about the Target walk-in clinic, guns in the eco-bag, and a massage Groupon. An older man with two first names did one about the meaning of life in Nepal. The godmother did one about a bucket list. Others were about dead people clothes at Goodwill, buying a Jeep, the speed limit in Nebraska, doctors without egos, birthday cake at a dog park, and JV landscaping. Magic Man did one about being paid not to work in St. Cloud. Another was about where is my stick, is it vaudeville? The ex-cop did one about a fad diet, he got divorced. The radio personality did ones about houseguests, the apple orchard, and her sister shooting squirrels. Laundry did ones about potlucks, and a roundabout. I have seen the show closer before, he and his brother both do stand-up comedy.

Our Family Brand Pudding

     I knew an expiration date was coming soon on one of my food items, so I finally prepared it. This was Our Family brand vanilla pudding and pie filling. It is distributed by Nash Finch company, out of Minneapolis. I got it from the discount table for 49 cents. I poured some milk into a pan on the stove and then mixed the contents of the pack into it. I had to take the pan off the burner momentarily as it had boiled over. But it tasted good. The box says it is enough for 4 servings, so I will have to spread it out over a few days of course.
   I made the pudding after I got back from the comedy club. Self checkout was the MC. The big dog was a surprise but welcome guest near the end. I really liked hearing the 'Take it for granted' joke. Others were lost dog, Christian Mingle, drink coffee silently, seeing a dead body, and smelling his dad's sport jackets. A comic I haven't seen in a while was there. He did one about running out of toilet paper. Others were about being a hobo hipster, being in his 30's but not down by the river. He likes 8-month relationships, did one about life partner beaters, and a hot Shaun White. A newer comic did one about bringing girls, and it was a sausage fest. And how it 'just felt right'. Long straw did one about avoiding a woman in a grocery store. Others were about a room he forgot to decorate, and a Cubs urn. The show closer was Bus Fare, and I liked hearing the 'High at the movie theater' joke again. Others were about small talk, put a sandwich back together, don't poop in this bar, and a birthday clown. Then there were ones about being uncomfortable with his own hands, and a state fair horse show.
   I went to vote in the evening after work, also after eating a little at home. I like how it is a fairly painless process, taking under 30 minutes to walk there, complete and submit the ballot, and walk home. I did get one photo inside the precinct, it was of the sign next to the machine where completed ballots are fed in. I was told it was fine to get a picture of the wall, but not of the people.
   At work the political science guy was frustrated about a letter-folding machine not working properly, some of the letters jammed in it. He asked if it was a good idea for me to use the pencil sharpener right then, which was next to it. I saw nothing wrong with doing this as it didn't take long. A colleague in another department, who had inquired about a tour of my department, did ask about Election Day subjects as he said he is not a citizen yet so of course he can't vote here. He spoke of the leaders in his native Philippines being from dynasties. I was familiar with the hotly contested race in 1986 between Marcos and Aquino, which led to jokes about all of the shoes Imelda Marcos had.

Customer Service Stories

    After the show at the comedy club tonight, I liked hearing the bartender and manager share stories about working in customer service. I even spoke some about doing call center work. The manager said he felt bad for me, but I said I found it easier to do than what he does since it's done remotely and I learned a lot of people skills from it.
   I liked getting another CD done by a comedian friend, this one was from the Wisconsin guy. I was asked to post a review online, and I likely will on Amazon once I have listened to it. The preschool teacher did one about 'down by the bay'. Morton Salt did one about his uncle selling shoes. The rapper did one about playing high school football. The red-faced comic did ones about DUIs and Little Caesar's. The radio personality did ones about houseguests, the apple orchard, and her son's toothbrush. The bathtub comic did ones about taking babies, a lava lamp and cop paranoia. Fantasia did ones about girls like jerks, and role playing. Laundry did one about mandolin players, and referred to an REM song, 'losing my religion'. The Wisconsin girl did ones about blush wine and refried beans, as well as a stripper lunch lady. The fever comic did ones about a dentist appointment, cake and pills, and a Civil War general. The Wisconsin guy did ones about whiz-banging cheese in a bag, Cuba, dry cleaners, a massage Groupon, his dad selling deep fryers, and Aaron Rodgers. The school bouncer did ones about rap record labels, ice cream and nachos, and a kid in a field with an invisible friend. The university accountant did ones about Charlie Brown, her husband at Target, KFC, baby carrots, gymnastics, and the seven dwarfs. The sub teacher did ones about Labor Day in China, Snap Fitness, his lady at MNDOT, atheist shoes, Progressive Insurance, and ISIS as grandma names. The 'extra murder' comic did ones about a ferry, a food truck, a donut burger, the Ebola scare, a Texas visit, and a Michigan visit. Perkins did ones about his mom's death rattle laugh, his car almost towed, a zombie apocalypse, and senior pictures on railroad tracks.     

Esprit De Liberte Mini Toasts

    I made a third visit to the Rainbow Foods liquidation sale in West St. Paul this morning. This may be my final visit for various reasons. There isn't much left, largely due the sale wrapping up soon, in a week or less. And just as important, I got yelled at for taking pictures there. It was while waiting to get checked out, as most of the store is empty so I am not seeing an employees while in the aisles. I stopped when requested, and decided to have a poker face and say nothing about how many I had taken before I was yelled at. I got 15 items this time, a slightly lower number than before, and two of them were non-food items. One of the items I bought I hadn't heard of before. It is called Esprit de Liberte mini toasts. It says it is great for appetizers and snacks. I like the art on it, which depicts a woman holding a French flag. It says it is a product of France, and distributed by Gourmet Foods International in Atlanta. I also liked getting a block of apple smoked mozzarella cheese, from Red Apple Cheese.
   I went to an art event in the afternoon in downtown St. Paul, and I liked hearing a kid playing a fiddle. I got to take home some of the food as there were plenty of leftovers. I got a brownie, fries, chicken, and some little chunks of cheese.
   In the evening I went to see a friend's comedy show. It was the Big Dog, who was MC, and Mr. Pibb was the feature. I said to the big dog how I liked all of the jokes, some I hadn't heard in a while. It may have helped to have a bigger crowd as some of the jokes should have taken off but didn't. He got a number 5 response out of me for the 'Slowpoke' joke. I had said in my translator, posted on Facebook, that this means it is a top-shelf joke. I hadn't seen the headliner before, but she did a joke about being a southern girl, and comparing Minnesota nice to some things people say in the South. I liked the Right Guard story, the peed pants in grocery store joke, and the thigh gap. I really liked swapping stories with the big dog, red faced comic, and Oklahoma after the show at the bar. This was where I showed the pictures on my camera of being in full costume and makeup when scaring people at the haunted house this weekend. I liked how I could hold my own, but I have said before how I can match wits with the best of them. After the show I called my college roommate, and asked about the declaration of the 'No-lurking zone'. It was relevant again after doing the acting. Dad had asked if my roommate had been in combat, found out there was hostile fire. It was an eye opener about the D.C. native apparently quitting Facebook, there were some postings about it.

Soap Factory Haunted Basement

     It was a full day for me, capped by doing some acting at a haunted house- the Soap Factory. I had shied away from this place for a while, as all I knew was having to sign a waiver if one is a patron. It changed when I asked further about it after seeing an exhibit there in August. I wanted to do it for the experience, and what an experience it was! I kept saying how I was nervous leading up to it, but told myself this is also how I felt when I first did stand-up comedy. Well this faded quickly, once I was out in it, just like when doing stand-up. As I've heard it said before, if you're not nervous at all then something's wrong. It was rather simple for me, first thing was show up and get an assignment- as well as makeup and costume. Then it meant going through directions from an event coordinator. There were breaks from time to time, and a dinner provided as well. When a certain song was played, it was our cue that it was break time or end of shift. I liked this way more than one thing I recall doing right before the election- a phone bank for a politician 6 years ago. I scared half of the people sent my way, not bad for a rookie. So I feel I did my job well. I had to figure out by trial and error what worked. It got me some stand-up comedy material, as expected. Some of the responses from the patrons were memorable, besides the screaming and sometimes swearing. When we had our dinner time it made me think of the song 'Soul to squeeze' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers as we were gathered around in our costumes for dinner much like the carnies in the video. Earlier I quoted 'Mrs. Rita' by the Gin Blossoms as another actor, a teenage girl, read my palm. 'Tell me Mrs. Rita, what's it say in my tarot. Read my palm and tell me why do lovers come and go'. I found her reading to be accurate. I was described as adventurous but not stupid, and my dating life leaves a lot to be desired. I enjoyed all of the people I met. One of them didn't like my Iowa Hawkeyes coat, but near the end of the night somebody liked it as they were from Iowa, specifically West Des Moines. I said I lived in the Valley Junction section of town for a year and a half after college. And I quoted the president, saying I liked it when he said 'What unites us, not what divides us'. I will probably sign up for this event again next year. At the end of the night, I liked hearing some songs on my car radio while driving home. It was 'Hook' by Blues Traveler and 'Today' by Smashing Pumpkins.
   The other two events today were a date, and an event at a museum. I had the date at a Caribou coffee shop. I thought it went well, will find out soon enough if there is a second date. The museum event was a Theodore Roosevelt impersonator. He was stumped about the president's friend, western writer Emerson Hough. He did know about his one-year term as head of the American Historical Association, after he was done as US president.