V-8 Original Vegetable Juice

    I had some V-8 original vegetable juice at lunchtime. I went late due to the typical high volume
on a Monday with the payoff report. I don't have it often, even though it is healthy there is something about the taste that is unappealing. I got stage time at the comedy club tonight, I did some jokes about my dad visiting recently as well as one about being called Judge Wapner.
    Also at the comedy club, soap opera did ones about a flute, and ex-therapists. The taller of the
brothers did one about a bike on a train. Tortoise did one about the actor the rock. Brawler did one about living in Pittsburgh. University accountant did ones about Fonzie, Edina, and the state fair. Postage stamp did ones about an NYC visit, and coin flip election. Maryland did ones about a shot lion, Obama, friends on Netflix, and Disney movies. Mr. Pibb did ones about a Paris funeral, Pokemon, open mouth cough, and an I-pad. Three by five card did one about GPS. Wee bit did ones about Walmart, and the state fair. Sub teacher did ones about Trump, Jeb Bush, and a bumper sticker. Extra murder did ones about a topless protest, and Franklin and Jefferson. Arizona Chicago did ones about trophy wife, and bras. Tetris did one about an apocalypse. School bouncer did ones about bottle water, grill cheese, Dutch oven, and Redbox. Olive garden did this joke and one about DUI. Bathtub did ones about disposable cameras, and nutty bars.

Ex's And Oh's, Elle King

    I did plenty of chores at home, and when I finally left to run errands I finally heard a song, which had a title that eluded me, again. I wrote down enough lyrics to a lively and catchy song on my car radio that I was able to find it online later. It was Ex's and Oh's by Elle King. It goes fast so at first the premise was lost on me. I heard 1 2 3, gonna run back to me, never want to leave, won't let go. The video does help with telling the story, as it starts with a sports car stopping on the side of a
road in the desert. It looks like a Camaro, and she says 'Get out' to the man she is with. Then there is when 3 men are doing hand strands with their heads touching the ground.
    I got more photos posted to Facebook, one of them was from the state fair. It was from the Kemps ice cream exhibit, and it shows a cow photo bombing. It already has 25 likes, more than the ring of honor photo with the fancy comic. I did add another ring of honor photo, it is with Cee-note and the Button, they are number 78 and 79. Some also liked the one of Dad next to a Snoopy statue when I dropped him off at MSP last week. I ate at Arby's for the first time in a while, and noticed they had round trays. I went to Walmart for the first time in a while as I knew they would have the kind of photo album I wanted and needed, which can get larger postcards in the slot. It can hold 80 photos or postcards, and judging by the pile I have ready it may be close to filled with the backlog. I know what it is from, some are from Toronto, some NYC, some from the Laura home in Walnut Grove, some from the state fair. This is why I call it baseball and museum season.         

Most Vertical Primate Movie

    I watched my DVD copy of the movie 'Most vertical primate' this evening, ordered from Amazon this month. Two people I have done comedy with are in it, one is the Canadian (playing a Swedish hockey player) and the other is Gus Lynch, who was the team's GM. This is G-rated, hard to find wholesome entertainment these days. The storyline was a little predictable, but it can be expected when the lead actor is an animal. I do like having this movie though. It did remind me of 'Bad news bears' and 'Angels in the outfield' at times.
   I also made it to the comedy club tonight, saw Bathtub as MC and International Falls as feature. It was nice how there wasn't much on the schedule today, mostly just getting to the post office to get packages there. It included a Pan-Am Games towel and a book about the St. Louis Cardinals, as covered by sportswriter Rick Hummel for the local paper. As I was leaving the comedy club I heard 'Someone like you' by Adele playing.
    Also at the comedy club, Bathtub did ones about big mall in a warehouse, voice cracked, no
birthdays, its my mustache, Last Comic Standing, Minnesota sports teams, activating rivers, summon a buffalo, dad makes kale chips, rafting, playing clarinet, expired camera film, dogs on Instagram, customs form, and nutty bars. International Falls did ones about does anyone have pizza, anyone take bus or train, street harasser, dirty pillowcase, had flu order dress, and pregnant coworker. Others were about raw dogging it, 362 days no HR, punk rock handle anarchy, Prince as emergency contact, I want bangs, dog rescue, police dog poem, ocean violence, raccoons in home, and mom's day poem.
    A visitor from LA was next. He did ones about we have carrot top, and others he looks like, dog
food restaurant, and Yelp reviews. The headliner I didn't know either. She did ones about fired up for sports, breast cancer awareness, Big Ben the football player, don't you know softball?, and cupcakes at work. Others were about don't OD on drugs, Justin Bieber, don't eat before the fair, at the gym Jesus bait and switch, fashion is not important, Scottish accent, cat sitter in NYC, looking for Mary Poppins, roommate wanted cheap rent, I am a ghost, car insurance, Whole Foods, Thunderdome of hate, cookie monster on Halloween, divorced over the holidays, ah you will see, can't like Radiohead too much, only calls not text, comedians are the craziest, want to cheat, and Game of Thrones.

Galloping Unicorn

   I was pleased to get a sneak preview of a friend's CD, so I listened to it tonight before leaving for the comedy club. It was from trailer park girl, and the final track on it had a unicorn galloping. I was able to hear every track on it except the first, tried it twice and it was stuck. Many of the jokes were familiar to me, this helped of course. After I had reviewed 2 CDs by another friend this week I posted it on Facebook and tagged her in the post, saying I would gladly review hers as well if it was sent my way. When I was in New York City for the writers convention this month there was a posting that had tagged me, when asked who could review it. Software developer suggested me then. Not every joke worked for me on the CD, but most did, and it is still the sum total. For some reason at times she reminds me of Sarah Silverman.
   I wanted to listen to the CD right away, so it did change my after-work routine some. It meant I finally got to Taco Bell around 8:30pm for dinner. Then shortly after I was done there I was off to the comedy club. I saw the Chameleon after the show and she was impressed that I spoke of her Joe Biden song when I was at the state fair the previous day. She rode off on her motorcycle.
   Also at the comedy club, the button did ones about feminist, I'm sorry, hold doors open, we are all monsters, body expectations high, cherries, pear, fruit salad, choose body type, mean median mode, more to love, masking pain, and too far. Tetris did most of his set about chewing gum with another comic that I don't know, it was weird to say the least. Apron did ones about Brian Williams, time travel, make the team, and a Beyonce concert. School bouncer did ones about Omar from Breaking
Bad, bottle water, yoga mat, who are parents getting dressed up for?, plenty of hugs, females sent pics, grill cheese, and Dutch oven. Extra murder did ones about topless protest, parking meter, a perv, Pol Pot, blurred lines video, lass ceiling, Ben Franklin, I can drive, and wasn't looking for it. Rut-roh
did ones about rhetorical questions, food and drinking problem, internet bill, cat in eat, Toppers pizza we come fast, fell out of tree, and a weed allergy. Long straw did ones about weekend in Perham, watching baseball reruns, bad at being high, say something, walk laps, and IKEA. The shorter of the brothers did ones about baby pictures, game of chess, following bodyguard, clown noses, and Sea World. Cee-note did ones about Sneaky Pete's, practice robbery, kid lost in mall, change name, and go in yard. Happy meal did ones about you don't deserve my jokes, decided to keep it, too much
Robitussin, wearing a scarf in summer, a BO dungeon, Chatty Cathy, go back to Vo-tech, upsell fish
food, Wal-Mart and Target, and divorce at restaurant.

Mounted Police Trading Cards

    I made it to the Minnesota State Fair in the early afternoon, the first day of the fair. Inside the coliseum I found some trading cards for the city of St. Paul's mounted police. I chose two: officer Hank Price and Cowboy, as well as officer Mat Jones and King. I chose these as both had an image of most of the horse. On the back it mentions tax deductible donations can be made to the mounted patrol foundation, at a PO box. It also directs people to a website, and a Facebook page. I did many of the typical things for this visit to the fair, such as the big carpet slide and getting a pork chop. I liked the Fine Arts building as usual. I chose the one depicting a visit to a Super-America as my favorite. Another display, inside the Education Building near quilts, was of postcards. Some of these were from World's Fairs, and of course I have many from the 1933 Fair in Chicago. There were some new things I did, like visit a convenience store, I had no idea there was one at the fairgrounds. Another was the rebuilt Heritage Square, where I got a button celebrating the rebuild. Actually it happened last year, but I didn't see it last year. I had some pizza at Green Mill, and I got a cream puff near Heritage Square. I tried to hold down the number of souvenirs I get at the fair, free or otherwise, as it can be too much to carry around. I was pleased to find multiple postcards, including of the carpet slide. I covered most of the fairgrounds, but since I had nothing else planned for the day I said to myself 'why not?'

Oreo Mini Mint Cookies

    This week at the grocery store I bought some items from the discount table. One of them was a box of Nabisco Oreo mini mint cookies. It is a 13-ounce box, and it says 'try these other varieties'. One is Reese's peanut butter, and the other appears to be the regular Oreo flavor. It is kind of funny when on the back of the box it says 'We mint to make them this small', in comedy circles this is called a pun. In one corner it says 'Wonder-filled'. It didn't take long to finish the box, which I did this evening, as I was putting them in my lunch at the office as well as having them for my evening snack after work. I was confused for a while seeing the name 'Mondelez International' or 'Global' when looking at the 'Distributed by' information on the box. I found them on Wikipedia and it says the holding company is based in suburban Chicago, and the name was chosen in reference to romance languages and being an international food company. I do know 'Monde' is French for world. The article did cover the time when Nabisco was owned by a tobacco company, RJ Reynolds, before it was spun off as the current holding company. The article also traced the company history back as the 1790s, due to mergers and acquisitions. The Nabisco company as we know it dates from the 1890s, due to first using the name 'National biscuit company'. I have a can with this name on it, depicting Barnum's animals, the brand of animal cracker the company makes.
    At the comedy club tonight, I did many of the same jokes as the previous night but I also did the one about going golfing over the weekend. I started my set with mention of how I haven't been to Denver aside from being on layover there, in reference to a Denver guy who was onstage before me playing harmonica. He was heckling the first performer of the night (after the show runner), another comic, the guy from San Diego. I spoke some before the show with San Diego and he was telling me about living in Iowa at one point- Council Bluffs- not sure how long or when. I said as an Iowa native I wasn't too familiar with the town, as it is part of the Omaha metro area and not close to were I grew up. Also spoke with somebody about his daughter performing at a sushi bar in Minneapolis tonight, he said this prompted him to get onstage somewhere.
    Also at the comedy club, the night started with playing fortunate son, and born this way. San Diego did ones about So-Cal, traveling by bus, express lane, tax attorney, 3rd grade, half Jewish, Streisand, Mel Brooks, we have water, fast food job, and chicken. There was Respect, a harmonica, Johnny B Goode, my set, then a million second chances. This was followed by Ain't no sunshine when she's gone, and I don't want to fall in love. A rapper did one about I like to get down to the funky sound. A violin player did something with no lyrics, and I just might get some sleep tonight. Then it was come together right now and crazy about my baby.   

Photo Predictions

    I was at the comedy club tonight, and the show runner (filling in) posted a photo and asked for predictions, wondering if I was asleep. I was tired but did not fall asleep. I got a laugh out of it, but now I question the wisdom of taking the table next to the stage. At the office the farmers market walk didn't happen, but I walked over there anyway.
    Also at the comedy club, Ukulele did ones about Ann Coulter, connective tissue, and ask for spaghetti. Long straw did ones about a show in Perham, MN, barely likes doing anything, being a mannequin, say something, a Target bathroom, and a Buick. The Wisconsin couple was there. The wife did ones about aerial patrol, camper trailers, scrappers, state fair food booth, merge onto highway, and think about choices. The husband did ones about the Packers, Randy Moss, Brett Favre, Michael Jordan, prime rib and merlot, pray for cats, laws broken, driving helper, and landing in Las Vegas. Apron did ones about modem went out, Brian Williams, bacon on stove, and corn nuts. Soap opera did ones about affirmations, boxes of Twinkies, Monet Taco Bell and Chicago, and his nickname. Mr. Pibb did ones about an I-pad, Berenstain bears, business baby, go to France, and go to Roseville. Bus fare did ones about bar games, Ohio tour, Jack Kerouac, eggs, mac and cheese, Laundromat, and made up of circles. I did ones about an airport bag, Subway bathroom, dad and skim milk, full size golf, and pig at the Saints game.         

Adventures In Babysitting

   Tonight I read a page from the book 'Adventures in babysitting' at the comedy club and I got a certificate for it. So I am counting it as stage time. I had seen the movie in college, but that was a number of years ago.
   At the office I was walking through the skyway and saw somebody walk away from the ATM without taking out their card. I turned it in to the front desk at the bank. It was my good deed for the day. When I got back to the office I told the political science guy about it and he said he would return it to the owner the next time it happens. I said it probably will happen again at some point, since I have been witness to it three times now. One of these was when I was on vacation in Seattle in 2007.
   Also at the comedy club, Twin Peaks did ones about a flask, dildos, a bathroom scale, a gym membership, Russian roulette, called hipster by Grandma, dyslexia, diarrhea, Miley Cyrus, and Q-tips. Laundry did ones about a mandolin concert in Minnetonka, 'Zombie' by the Cranberries, donkeys, giraffe neck, beat-box, ponytails, and a festival prank. Resistable did ones about donuts love each other, Woody Allen, jazz, lip service, screaming woman, flowers, hot dish, live out loud (I am thinking of the song), Popeye's, get used to it, mom is OK dad is silent, selfie stick, was in HR, kitty litter on everything, Ziggy cartoons, and Ashley Madison. Brawler did ones about Pennsylvania, a dirty couch, pick fights, was in Iraq, scary part of Texas, yamakas, condoms, a new name, therapy after war, stabbing, and his sister went gangster. Sub teacher did ones about sports and politicians, Jeb Bush, chewing tobacco, gators, MC Hammer, global warming, Titanic, and I got a shout out for big oil and casual sex. Others were about General Sherman, South Carolina, entering a museum, Gone with the wind, presidents day name 6 of them, Lincoln in Vampire Hunter, Woodrow Wilson, Catholic wedding and funeral, Simon says, dinner theater, Jeffrey Dahmer, and prison. Rut-roh did ones about going to NYC, rhetorical questions, chop onions, Foot Locker, Brooklyn, food problem, halfway house, fell out of tree, bosses aren't cool, weed allergy, and vegan crack. Others were about expired drink tickets and the hokey pokey. 

Ponds At Battle Creek

     This evening I went golfing after dropping off my dad at the airport, and it was at The Ponds at Battle Creek, in Maplewood. First time doing full-size golf. It is a 9-hole course, and I finished just as darkness had arrived. I probably looked like a damn fool out there using a Patty Berg putter that I had bought at a secondhand store years ago. There was some rust on it, likely due to being kept in the trunk of my car. There was a swing and a miss often in this outing. I saw a deer running through the  course and into the woods, but I didn't get my camera out in time to get a picture of it. I think it was a good idea that I stayed busy after being at MSP as I didn't want to feel any separation anxiety after Dad's weekend visit. I may have gotten annoyed with him at times, but one must take the good with the bad. To understand some of who I am, one must look at him. We went to church this morning and the fellowship after it, then ate at Chris and Rob's, the Chicago hot dog place. It meant he said 'Chi-Cargo' numerous times while there. I am used to it by now, and it did lead to some fond memories of a visit there when I was young. One of these he shared with me that I didn't recall was seeing a pan-handler after leaving Union Station, as we had taken the Amtrak train from Iowa. The man claimed he had just gotten into town, and we passed him by. Dad wasn't sure what a Spam single was, so we went to the grocery store so he could see one, and he did comparison to the other Spam there while in this aisle. We also watched a DVD I had bought on Amazon, it was a comedy show hosted by Jon Lovitz, who was on Saturday Night Live. A Canadian comic I have opened for was on it, but he liked another comic more. He said Mom liked Joan Rivers, and his mom liked Phyllis Diller I think.
   I probably could have had more of the 'Take charge' attitude as I feel like in previous visits how I could have gained more from the visit. I know I used the word 'Because' a lot this weekend. I am still trying to think of how, without coming across as being rude. I do like hearing people share their stories. It is hard to say how much more I could have done, as I want to give others a chance to be heard. I also know one can't teach an old dog new tricks, so asking for certain things from Dad might be too much. I know I did get some new stories, though I heard some of the old ones as well. Saying it is the sum total is likely the best idea. I liked getting a photo of Dad next to the Snoopy statue at MSP, in the baggage claim section. As I was driving away from the airport, I heard the song 'Dancing Queen' by Abba on my car radio. It will help remember this weekend, it seems appropriate that I would remember an oldie as I heard plenty of older stories this weekend.
   I picked up the pictures from Walgreen tonight that were from the single-use camera, same camera I was given by an office colleague. I was pleased with how well the pictures turned out, some had glare or were too dark but over half of them are fine. It was a leap of faith as it the film expired three years ago, and these were from the day I flew to New York for the writer's convention. It started with waiting for the bus and ended with an advertisement for a concert at Central Park next month.   

Loft 40th Anniversary

    I am a member of The Loft Literary Center, and their anniversary celebration is this weekend. I was trying to figure out what event to attend, but it was not to be. It looks like they were all over town and not many at the Loft itself. We arrived at the building and nobody was there, just a few signs up. I finally saw the video I am in, the Earth Wind and Fire song, as it is online now. I pointed out to Dad which one I am in it, I am shown twice before the final scene on the rooftop. We ended up finding the nearby 2007 bridge collapse memorial instead, with 13 columns standing for the death toll that day. It brought back many memories of the day, like Dad calling me to ask me about it as it was on TV and I wasn't watching TV at the time but it prompted me to turn it on. Dad wanted to see the Vikings stadium, which was near the Loft, so I found a parking meter near both. There were some other onlookers besides us. Before that he wanted to see a Hy-Vee store, still under construction much like the stadium. Hy-Vee is building two stores in the area, we went to the one in Oakdale and spoke with the manager when we arrived. No joke, two people drove by and asked us about the place, had to say it wasn't open yet, not until September apparently. We also found our way it to the Mill City museum, near the stadium and the Loft. We looked around in the welcome area, which had some displays, but didn't pay the admission fee to see the main part of the museum. I liked seeing some of the art there, like the story of a woman who had lived there as a squatter who said it was them or me about survival.
    We went to the Saints baseball game in the evening, Saints lost to Sioux Falls 6-0. There was a rain delay, and it lasted over an hour. Not much scoring after it as Sioux Falls was up 5-0 at the time of the rain delay, in the middle of the 4th. 

Blasted Rice Krispie Treat

I bought a box of blasted Rice Krispie treats at Walgreen recently and just finished them. It tasted fine, and also mentioned a contest to meet baseball player Cal Ripken. My dad is in town for the weekend, we just met at the airport this evening. His flight from Des Moines was delayed. He went with me to the comedy club tonight after we ate at Subway.
   At the comedy club, International Falls did ones about dying in sleep, sleepwalkers, having a dress from Forever 21, wants bangs, and being vulnerable. Oklahoma did ones about wear a hat, hot out there, what I will be like, credit card debt, marrying best friend, and Bill Gates. Apron did ones about push and shove, and Brian Williams. The button did ones about a hot potato, mis-typing, accepting compliments, tags at Goodwill, Natural Foods grocery store, and kinds of cheese. Grizzly Adams did ones about whales on Netflix, Taz tat, and a Sublime fan. Extra murder did ones about his friend the fire fighter, get some cake, seeing Straight out of Compton in Edina, Jared from Subway, a caged bird reference, Flo from Progressive, and the movie Taxi Driver. Tetris did ones about a Best Buy ad, acting out a script, David Bowie, and threesomes. Ice cream did ones about pimps aren't cool, water problems in apartment, Ray Romano, and social security numbers. The rapper did ones about becoming a hipster, Velma from Scooby Doo, son likes Disney princess, and Little Mermaid. Long straw did ones about a Cubs urn, Jimmy Buffett, sibling love for 2 days, fancy pants, the Geneva Convention, and a Little John song. Dad liked the mention of the Cubs urn, and he spoke with others for some reason about relatives of ours getting drafted for World War Two. This was possibly since I had done a joke that mentioned his uncle who hopped trains in New Ulm during the Depression.       

Metro PCS Purple Cups

    I went to the St. Paul Saints baseball game tonight, and I saw plenty of Metro PCS purple cups. My guess is this telecom company was the sponsor of the dollar beer night. I claimed one of these cups after seeing many in the trash. I told myself just wash it and it will be fine. The Saints lost to Sioux City 8-6 in 11 innings. It was 'Throwback Thursday', and it meant going through some of the city's history. I picked up two free documents at the game. One was about the lower-town neighborhood the stadium is in. Before the year 1969 it states the 4th and Broadway area was home to a shoe company, plumbing supplies, and an electric transformer station, While 5th and Broadway was home to Armour and Swift meat packing companies. Lower-town was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. I do see many plates or markers on buildings in the area that speaks of the designation. There is the farmers market, market house (home to condos and a restaurant), Tilsner artist lofts, and Union Depot. Mention is made of the city's flag, and I didn't know there was a city flag until it started flying at the stadium this season. It says a St. Kate's student designed the flag in 1932. On the other side it speaks of the Noyes Brothers and Cutler building, the First Baptist Church, Gillette factory, and Great Northern Building. The Garrison Keillor radio show broadcasted from Noyes and Cutler for a while, and the church is now Mears Park, and of course the Saints stadium is now on the Gillette site. Great Northern was James J. Hill's railroad. The second document is about baseball in St. Paul over the years, going back to 1859. I was familiar with two different Saints teams dominating the city's baseball history, before the current version. One of them moved to Chicago and became the White Sox, it was run by Charles Comiskey. The other started shortly after the previous team left, and was a minor league team that existed through 1960, with various affiliations, when it left along with the nearby Minneapolis Millers as the major-league Twins arrived. Then the current Saints independent team started in 1993. Ramsey County Historical Society is listed as the source for both, inside the Landmark Center downtown.

Loaf, Not Bread Crumbs

    I went to two shows tonight, and performed at the first one. I spoke of the Sara Bareilles song 'Brave' and it led to mention of the song 'It's my life', when No Doubt covered the Talk Talk version of it. the second show was a going away party for a club owner who is moving to Texas. Early on in my comedy career he said two things to me that was really helpful. The first was go for the whole loaf, not just bread crumbs. The other was if you are looking for validation in this business you are not going to find it. I arrived near the end of the show and got to see school bouncer perform, as well as the owner, who was show closer. There was some food left, and I did have a pierce of cake. I was correct on it being the place to be tonight, as I saw plenty of friends there. Hard to keep track of how many, but it was probably close to half of my ring of honor, and there are now over 70 in it.
    Before the shows I went to a Best Buy to get another TV antenna. My dad is in town this weekend
so it was time as I wanted to avoid any comments about a broken one even though the reception is still fine. The other is making more orders. One was for more items related to the movie 'Up in the Air', a keychain and magnet which had the movie title in Turkish. This was on e-bay. The other was an order for a book and some notecards from the St. Louis paper. The book is written by a (former) sportswriter who covered the local baseball team, the Cardinals. The notecards include images of the Arch and of the Beatles concert, at Busch Stadium in 1966.
    At the first show we had a new show runner, a lady who is shorter than the earlier one. She did 'Come together, right now'. Next performer was a rapper, and I heard things like 1997, wrangler and tats, and in my Jeep. It was followed by old school style, we rock we rock, and you can make me frown can't break me down. 

Little Debbie Book Order

    I finally decided to place a book order on Amazon after hearing about it on the back of a box for Little Debbie brownies. The book is called 'The Making of America', a history book, and it is branded with the National Geographic magazine. This box said the contents were guaranteed fresh until April 2014, so I had thought about it for a while. It was a good idea to see what amazon had available, as the deal on the box was more expensive, nearly twenty dollars. I also placed an order for the movie 'MVP 2', and I used some gift card money so it amounted to less than three dollars in the end. I know some of the actors in the movie from doing comedy.
   I did get stage time at the comedy club tonight. I also went to a nearby store after signing myself in as I needed a bottle of mustard, having it with the chicken nuggets in the TV dinners I eat works well. I did some jokes about the recent New York City visit.
   Also at the comedy club, International Falls did ones about day 411 no HR, dirty pillowcase, mattress cover, poor people, coffee grounds, mom lashes out, reverse primate eye, and the Boyhood movie. University accountant did ones about the office microwave, Cream of Wheat, wheelchair wheelie, Swiffer, Michelle Obama, and a presidential library. Others were about Free Willy, and mom at the thrift store. The crow did ones about mature porn, a job and not live with parents, movie quotes, time for depression, Paul McCartney, and emo hipsters. Blind Side did ones about being adopted, Cops but no Simpsons, body cameras, and learning is hard.

Pardon The Dissent Show

    I listened to a friend's radio show tonight called 'Pardon The Dissent'. Subjects covered included Donald Trump, John McCain, and a shooting in St. Paul. He is known as neck tattoo, but I haven't seen him at the comedy clubs for a while. I know he speaks of being a hotel shuttle driver in his Facebook postings, there are some good stories to tell wit all of the people he meets this way. I made it home in time to hear it there, though otherwise I could have heard it on my car radio. It was a call-in show. I will try to listen to this show on a regular basis, I had meant to for a while.
    At the comedy club tonight, wee bit did ones about the presidential race and the NSA. Wisconsin guy did ones about a fish market. Mr. Pibb did ones about Tre songs, Hank Williams, Civil War, jump the shark, and kick starter. School bouncer did ones about Straight Out of Compton, Ice Cube,
and Magic Johnson. Fever comic did one about weed less cool. Extra murder did ones about Taxi Driver, Mad Max, Texas dix-pics, and an eye chart. Postage stamp did ones about a county fair and elephant tricks. University accountant did ones about Pringles, fold sheet, the state fair, and eating an apple. Sub teacher did ones about a Catholic wedding, Simon Sez, bumper stickers, politics and sports, Jeb Bush, a gator, bath salt, and the Titanic. Tetris did ones about pizza rolls, Trump and Batman, a Tinder article, and a gun rack. Perkins did one about the Bermuda Triangle. Wisconsin girl did ones about a gourd road sign. Three by five card did one about Britney Spears. Bathtub did ones about cheater bait, Mad Men, and Insta-gram dogs.   

Bottle Water, Little Brownies

     There were many things on my to-do list today. One was to attend a picnic in St. Louis Park, but I forgot when it started and didn't get there until 2pm and most had left by then. All that was left for me was some bottled water and little brownies. I saw Big Dog as MC at the comedy club tonight.
     Big Dog did ones about yelling exercise, visit to Perkins, shoulder drop, seltzer gun, passionate sex, have supper with her, die for you song, heroin addict, and Dahmer. I didn't know who did the guest set, but I understand he has at least one CD with stand-up records. Mason City did ones about I voted stickers, Zoloft, fight or flight, sample lady at Costco, breach of contract, anger issues, riding bike, Bernie Sanders, sideshow Bob, not going to the freak store, order online, boxed white zin, Jekyll and Hyde, a shout-out for stolen at Hy-Vee, Bugs Bunny, PM and AM kindergarten, Jimmy Johns, Kool-Aid man, and very nice from a cop fight.
   The headliner was on the Vince Vaughn comedy tour, but not the DVD I have. He did ones about public transport, I am not Carl, pick porn online, popping zits on Youtube, Chinese food, Greece in debt, Wheel of Fortune, this is Sparta, Dad swearing, salami, Mom in Montreal, guy with pug dog, have a cigar, not on tinder, Beyoncé, texting, rotary phone, spell check, Vanilla Ice, John Goodman, and Lost Rhino on Animal Planet.

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Walnut Grove

    It was a busy day or driving and picture taking in southern Minnesota. I went to the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Walnut Grove, about an hour west of New Ulm. I got a smashed penny souvenir, my 6th of the year. I got other souvenirs, but tried to be careful to avoid getting postcards I already had since I toured the Laura home in Burr Oak, IA, 3 years ago. Then it was on to the Brown County Fair in New Ulm. It is called a free fair as it is free admission. Nice to see animal exhibits there, as the Ramsey County Fair in Maplewood doesn't have any unless you count the petting zoo. I also brought CDs with me for the drive. Two were comedy CDs, including the $4.99 show, and the one by the Wisconsin guy. The other two were music, Kelly Clarkson greatest hits and a classic country jukebox. The former was bought at a Best Buy store recently, the latter during my Toronto visit last month. Before Walnut Grove I stopped at a place calling itself Minnesota's answer to Wall Drug and got postcards and some cheese. Also stopped at the lunch buffet at Godfather's Pizza in St. Peter. I had a pulled pork sandwich and some Schell's beer at the fair. I was at the county fair for just under two hours, which was long enough to see everything that I wanted to see. Memorable of course was the music. Before a band did a sound check I heard some recorded music, two songs stand out. It was
'Have you ever seen the rain' by CCR, and 'Landslide' by Fleetwood Mac. With the former I had to pause and just listen to it until the end. Even though I haven't seen the movie Philadelphia, I think of the version in that movie, by the Spin Doctors, more often. The third notable song of the fair was I'm yours by Jason Mraz. It was near a midway ride, a reminder of starting comedy nearly seven years ago. When I was taking a picture of a light pole banner as I was leaving Walnut Grove I heard that Cheerleader song. I went to the Hy-Vee grocery store after the fair and got a sparkling ice drink. As I was leaving New Ulm, the song Walk the Line (from the country music CD) was playing.

Ajax Limited Edition Soap

    I went to the Family Dollar store after work as I needed some dish soap. There weren't very many choices for the Ajax brand, and I got some limited edition spring citrus blast soap. So it looks red, as opposed to what I normally get, which is lemon. I saw somebody on the bus home for the first time in a while, she said we had spoken about my search for Charlie Brown statues previously.
   I went to the comedy club tonight, saw Stillwater after the show ended. I didn't want to stay long after the show as I have plans to be out of town for part of the weekend.
   At work it was nice to get an online class done, I like to finish these in as little time as possible. I don't know how many of these classes directly pertain to my actual role, but it is still a finance company and this one was about fraud. I found two misfiled documents for different accounts- a contract for one and a title for the other. So I got the contract perfected and the title sent to document release as it was on a payoff report before but reported as not found.
   Also at the comedy club, Postage stamp did ones about pride parade, don't be a hater, a fake million dollar bill, not my problem, HIV scare, and a loaded gun. Ex-cop did ones about 7 typos, Lakeville 3am, DUIs, and a Walmart cart. Long straw did ones about power wash Buick, Grandma and compliments, Journey song, and Cubs urn. Ragu did ones about drink on bus, red shirt at Target, temple of doom, and tongue twister. Tortoise did ones about Grand Theft Auto, Matrix movie, Dad a congressman, parks and rec, Calvin and Hobbes, house of cards, and Robin Williams as Santa. Oklahoma did ones about don't have a car, the best it will be, hot and windy, your only friend, and smart car wreck. Note page did ones about Greek god, cat lady, hobo and suit, magic mushrooms, e-cigarettes, and car battery. Sub teacher did ones about bumper stickers, Jeb Bush, Catholic wedding, Simon Sez, Comcast, and might be a dad diet. Rut-roh did ones about a cell phone, rice, drunk and munchies, weed, tacos, soul food, and music at work. Bus fare did ones about mac and cheese, toilet paper, Laundromat, Jack Kerouac, Wendy's, and Josh Hartnett. Apron did ones about a plunger, all in my head, and buckle my shoe in German. The button was wearing a charge it to the game shirt. She did ones about hold doors open, look edible, fruit salad, being reliable, and jean shopping. Woody did ones about having 2 kids, drive used cop cars, discipline, tool of prayer, and maintenance. Mr. Pibb did ones about settlers of Kataan, confident rappers, Hank Williams, Civil War battle hymns, jump the shark, Pokémon, and open mouth cough. Extra murder did ones about Gangster's Paradise, apocalypse now, I can drive, appendix, Heath Ledger, let them support me, man cave, race car bed, and taxi driver. Soap opera did ones about ex-therapists, mom called him bt dad's name, blueberry condoms, and pride parade. Ice cream scoop did ones about Clue game, tats, and Ray Romano.        

Special K Pretzel Chocolate Bar

   The other discount table item I got at the grocery store this weekend was a box of six Kellogg's Special K salted pretzel chocolate snack bars. They tasted fine, I ate two at a time as a snack at the office or after work. It didn't take long to finish them, and I finished the box earlier today.
    I made another call to the Minnesota department of revenue, about filing for a property tax refund. Then I got the 2014 form in the mail by the end of the day. Notable was doing a food truck outing at the office, walking over to Mears Park at midday. I had a lamb gyro. Our facility czar, an ex-New Yorker, was a part of it.
   In the evening I went to Como Park in St. Paul and played some mini golf, hadn't done this in a while. I wanted to keep moving so I did the 18 holes out of order, the path of least resistance. I still did the 18th hole last, as this is where the golf balls are collected. Even though green is my favorite color, it may have been a bad idea to choose it for a golf ball. I was frustrated on one hole that I hit the ball before it stopped moving, and the ball was lost for a short time. I noticed it went beyond the fence. Mulligans on that hole and others- where I shot the ball and it came all the way back- helped my score. When I got back to my home I tried to flip on a light and I heard a pop, nothing came on. I checked the fuse box and a fuse was blown, so it was replaced. First time I had to change one in quite a while.

Faith, George Michael

     The first song I heard performed tonight at the comedy club was 'Faith' by George Michael. I did plenty of jokes about my recent pilgrimage to New York city. An esteemed colleague from Houston saw my Facebook posting about the flight delay and told me her story, including having to give up rice pudding at the airport. 
     Also at the comedy club, a performer that wasn't the show runner also did songs that mention need your loving so bad, streets named after, gone for good, run forever, and everybody wants a piece of paradise. A performer called Airway said school bouncer's dad, a preacher, prayed for him as he was about to get married in Las Vegas. A rapper called Rumor did ones about welcome to the show, you can make me frown can't break me down, what we were raised on, we're all really ugly, tattooed people, pocketful of dreams, what dreams are made of, and big lights will inspire you, New York. My opening line was that's the rumor, the line Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday had in the movie 'Tombstone'. It was followed by 'I'm your huckleberry'. I was followed by something about Saudi Arabia, and 100 degrees. It continued with hourglass shaped, and loving big girls, told me to lose that number. Then it was problem is probably mental, sunshine when you are with me, and keeping optimistic. Finally was
believe in the power of the human race, sitting in the middle of the ones we love, and I remember the ghetto. A guitar player did a song that was loud and fast, hard to follow all of the lyrics but it sounded good. Then it was get down get down, jungle boogie.    

Listen To Your Heart, Eminem

    I went onto Youtube and a song called 'Listen to your heart' by Eminem was an offering listed on the front page. Like many other songs he has done, I like how much passion and honesty is in it. The title is due to sampling from another song, and it appears to be by Roxette as I checked for the title on Wikipedia and Youtube. I understand how it fits the mood on some level of what Eminem was going for. I hadn't heard the Roxette version in a while, not sure if I had heard Eminem's before.
   I did perform at the comedy club tonight, and Big Dog was MC. I was the first one after the MC. I did fine but feel like I went a little fast, as I wanted to get through as much new material as possible. Big Dog will have the same slot this weekend, I will have to figure out when I can attend one of those shows.
     Also at the comedy club, Big Dog did ones about 3 funerals this year, swear at foreigner, mall people, Bruno Mars, soundtrack to economy, are you happy now, and tortilla soup. Perkins did ones about a Culver's dumpster, Q tips and pug dogs, pot, Reagan, American Pickers, of mice and men, ran out of Montana town, steaks, hot dog, and liquid courage. Bus Fare did ones about shark in basement, Chipotle, Jack Kerouac, and going to the Laundromat. Sub teacher did ones about Ron Paul bumper stickers, Jeb Bush, another blanket, Titanic iceberg, got a shout-out about politics and sports, and Bernie Sanders. Others were about vacation bible school, called us heathens, Catholic wedding, Simon Sez, and Comcast on hold music. Mason City did ones about Shawshank Redemption, Blue Man Group, passive dependent, giving plasma, Santa Monica Boulevard, Peoria strip club, John Lennon tooth, Jurassic Park, text to Mom, and Bohemian Rhapsody.   

Pop Tarts Gone Nutty

     I picked up two more discount table items at the grocery store last night. I just tried one of them this evening, Pop Tarts gone nutty. The box says it is made with real peanut butter, and it is frosted PB and J strawberry. I don't have Kellogg's Pop Tarts that often, at times before I bought them out of the vending machine at the office. Naturally some things end up at the discount table as they have just passed the expiration date, for this box it was a month ago. It tasted fine, and I could no doubt taste the peanut butter on the two pastries I ate. There are 6 pastries per box. I don't toast them, I just eat them straight out of the foil cover. There are some cartoons on the back of the box, one of them speaks of the toaster games, may the tarts be ever in your flavor.
    I didn't go home right after work, as I stayed downtown and watched the St. Paul Saints baseball game. It was a giveaway night, a team card set and I did get them. It is my third Saints card set. The
Saints won, 7-1 over Winnipeg. Near the end of the game it was announced that the team had broken the attendance record at over a quarter million for the season, and there is a month left in the season. They are number one in the league in attendance by far, largely due to the new stadium. Near the end at Midway Stadium, the Saints had dropped to third behind Winnipeg and Kansas city, now it is not even close. I got my hair cut, first time at the stadium. It was a little problematic as it was windy, I held the cape down. I was to the right of the batting background. It was finished during the first inning, and the barber did well. Some passed by and noticed, but not sure how many got a haircut after seeing mine. One said I looked familiar, I said I do stand-up comedy, and this is why I had looked familiar. Also saw an office colleague there who didn't know I liked Saints games. But she is in another department and we don't talk much at the office.
   When I got home I noticed the Drano I bought in the morning before going to work did work on the drain in the bathtub. I noticed there was water still in the tub last night when I got back from New York, so it was just sitting there for days when I was out of town. But I liked how the Drano seemed to be a fairly simple solution. I got out a sponge and some Tilex as there was a ring in the tub from all of the residue. Needless to say, I decided against showering this morning. 

Delta Airlines Eats Box

   My flight out of New York's LaGuardia airport was delayed multiple times, and I was able to get a delta airlines 'Eats box' for free, normally it is eight dollars. There was plenty in it, like salami slices, cheese spread, wheat thins, even a mint and a towel-ette. We touched down at MSP at 9pm, over 2 hours late. I shared a subway and bus ride with my esteemed colleague from Houston to get to the airport. The bathroom fixture overflowed again and I took care of it again. We got plenty done on the final day of the convention, all of the resolutions were covered. There was also left-over food from the day before. I got photos with some of my conventioneers, and there was a group photo in our shirts as well. Already had to do some errand running after getting back to Minnesota, by going to the grocery store. Otherwise it was going through postal mail and unpacking dirty clothes and cheap souvenirs. 
    I had hoped to get the four postcards mailed before the flight but it was not to be. I was told the airport hasn't had a post office since 9/11, so the postcards weren't dropped into a mailbox until I got back to MSP. I still wanted a postmark on them, as there already was a stamp on them. Much like when I was waiting for my flight in Toronto, I noticed some I-pads and I did some online activity there. It would be nice to make a return visit to NYC sometime soon, but I am thankful I finally made it back, first time in 10 years. Since I was there on someone else's dime it meant I was limited on what time I had for my own agenda. On my next visit I do want to find the Huguenot sites in the area. I had a reminder of one of them when I was near MSG as the bus said Huguenot for the destination, probably going to Staten Island. But there is also New Rochelle, in the suburbs, and upstate there is New Paltz. Since I am big on researching Theodore Roosevelt, then Sagamore, his home on Long Island, is another one on my list. The tough thing will be figuring out how I fit it into my budget. This was likely my fourth and final flight of the calendar year. Usually I do just two, to Chicago and St. Louis, had to cut back as it was getting expensive.

Janitor Instincts

   My janitor instincts kicked in when I saw an overflowing fixture in the bathroom while on recess from the convention. I asked our president, a mop couldn't be found right away so I was given paper towels to sop it up. I was a janitor in college so I wanted to do something about it as I didn't want anyone to fall. It didn't take long once I got started, and it sounds like I missed very little in terms of the session, maybe a minute or two. I have wrote out four postcards, one I am sending to myself, and  tried to find a place to send them during my lunch but couldn't. We did get to many of our resolutions today, but not all of them.
   In the evening I went to an 'improv' comedy show in East Village, called 'What I did for Love'. I liked doing the side trip and checking out of the craziness of Midtown and Times Square, this was more my speed. The area reminded me of Campus-town and Dinky-town in Minneapolis, seeing a bookshop selling books for a dollar in cases on wheels outside helped with the comparison. A New Yorker I had met at a previous convention, Detroit 2011, told me about it and attended the show with
me. We had some ice cream before the show, I had Cool Runnings. This did make me think of school bouncer, who has a joke about the movie it takes the name from. Walking on sunshine was the song
I heard while getting ice cream, and Only the lonely was one I heard as we went to the break at the comedy show. It was good to get stage time here, I raised my hand and got interviewed at the start of the show. Then the performers acted out an even funnier version of what I told them. I shared things like how much I spent on a long-shot dating service in suburban Chicago, and a mini golf date that was a result of it. Then there was my relationship that lasted over two years and ended two years ago. It was easier to laugh at all of it now since it has been long enough. Especially when it was made ridiculous by turning it into an ISIS joke. Want some love? Then cut off heads for us, give us your credit cards and social security number.       

Nathans Crunchy Crinkle Fries

    I had some Nathans crunchy crinkle fries while on break from the convention. I hadn't seen them before, they are pretty good. But we haven't discussed any resolutions yet.
    In the evening we had an outing at the Pioneer bar near Madison Square Garden. I got some pictures of the art on the wall as it reminded me of Emerson Hough, much of it was wildlife. I got yelled at for taking one of the fire exit, I wanted it as it reminded me of the signs I saw in my visit to Great Britain in 2012, the stick figures. I was there for just over an hour and left with two conventioneers, one from the Chicago chapter and the other Detroit, and we eventually decided to eat
at an Indian restaurant closer to the hotel. After getting back to the hotel I wasn't there for long, as I wanted to tour the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum in Times Square. I had seen a Ripley's museum before, in St. Augustine, FL, over a decade ago. I liked getting a smashed penny souvenir there, along with a program showing other Ripley's sites and two postcards. There was mention of their building at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933 early in the tour, on a video, and I spoke of finding this postcard on E-bay. I saw an annoying man there with is family, he made an off-color comment about the confederate flag after finding out one of two eye of needle art there was of the Obamas. The other was of Mt. Rushmore. 

LaGuardia Airport, NYC

  I flew into New York's LaGuardia Airport at midday, as I am in town for the writers convention. I got some food from the buffet, beef brisket and mashed potatoes, it was by the pound. I got a bus into Manhattan and got off near Times Square, just blocks from my hotel and the convention. We had one meeting already, chapter chairs if I am not mistaken. I was tired during it from being on the road that I experienced 'Micro sleep' more than once and somebody must have noticed as I heard 'We can go sleep on it, some of us already have'. Although I am not a chapter chair, but I guess somebody needed to represent the chapter as I don't think anyone else from the chapter is attending the assembly aside from somebody who holds a national office. We briefly spoke about the light rail in the Twin Cities. He didn't like me using the word 'Lament' but this it what it sounded like from him.
   It would have been nice to have seen a baseball game while in town, but it was not to be tonight. The Yanks were playing Boston tonight, but by the time I had finished checking email at the hotel the game had already started. So I decided to go get dinner, and there was a pizza by the slice place nearby. There was plenty of photos of famous people on the wall. I also went to McDonald's after having pizza as I wanted some ice cream, and saw somebody getting loud about not getting cups for water. He later talked to some cops in the street. I then walked around Manhattan and got plenty of pictures of what I saw. I had hoped to find a comedy show to attend or perform at but nothing seemed to fit my schedule or budget. I did see somebody who was the doorman at one club who directed me to a website though. I didn't do enough researching before I got to town, many shows are booked in advance. I bought a can or Narragansett beer from a Duane Reade store and drank it in my hotel room. I called Dad during this time, and spoke of how I found the Ralph Kramden statue outside the Port Authority bus station. It is put up by Nick at Nite, in reference to the TV show 'Honeymooners'.

Prairie Meadows Horse Racing

   When I was at the comedy club tonight, one TV monitor had horse racing on, it was from Prairie Meadows, the track near Des Moines, Iowa. I told a story that included hearing an Oasis song when I was out errand running. First it was to pick up a camera at Best Buy, then print things at the library, mostly related to the writers convention.
   Also at the comedy club tonight, I heard plenty of music as usual. it started with the show runner doing ones about won't take you for granted, and these broken arms. A comic did follow, with ones about a dog walking job, Blockbuster Video rentals, no snow days in Duluth, parents pick friends, a Hawaii vacation, relationship with a vegetarian, and fashion sense. There was something about an I-phone, and I'm so in love with you. A guitarist followed, with ones about a shotgun wedding, forgot guns, they would sing and sing, 'You belong to me' by the Lumineers, fell in love this June I recall, and feel like a train running off the tracks. The next guitarist did ones about the place you've come to hate, if I loved you more would it change you, and go through the motions. There was an Elliott Smith cover, going out sleepwalking, soaring high and crashing down, and looking for the man that attacked me. The third guitarist did ones about like a beauty queen from a movie scene, be careful what you do, and 'Billie Jean' by Michael Jackson.
   The next song was Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam. This was followed by down the road, pants to my knees, backyard to burn my only clothes, the roof is on fire, I think this song was in the movie 'Fahrenheit 9/11' by Michael Moore. Then I heard 'Give me Shelter' by the Rolling Stones in the background during warm-ups. We share a love of truth and understanding. Then it was want to thank you for letting me be myself again, I will try anything, most anything to keep my love alive. I also heard 'What I got' by Sublime, I like the line about playing the guitar like a fife. I also heard 'Basket Case' by Green Day tonight, but according to my notes it was before I reached the comedy club.  

Minnesota Governor's Mansion

    I toured the Minnesota governor's mansion today, and then did a half day at the office. There weren't many souvenirs to choose from, I would have liked postcards but I got a bookmark and a large magnet that looked like a postcard. I got plenty of my own pictures as well. I am thankful I finally did this tour, I learned something like how there wasn't a governor's mansion until 1965. The house was donated at this time for that purpose. The current governor, Mark Dayton, had some pictures on display of his dogs, German shepherds. I know he is divorced, twice, so this must be what fills the void. After work I attended my fifth and final Fringe show, Chameleon was interviewed at the show. She is what made the show, part of it was mash-up of Shakespeare and Seinfeld. It may have made more sense to me if I had seen Seinfeld more. 
    At the comedy club tonight, International Falls did ones about dirty pillowcase, day 326 no HR, goth style tights, piercings and tats, Prince as emergency contact, fall in shower, exorcist, and ghost whisperer. The fancy comic did ones about baseball hot dogs apple pie, on top of the world, chimp DNA, Donald Trump, kiss in mirror, the guy on TV, I know my ABCs, and blind pimp. Blind Side did ones about bossy woman from Starbucks, his lady moving to Tennessee, and pregnant teens. There was a visitor from LA, something about perpetual motion. Lunch Lady did ones about duct tape, Hello Kitty, 200 hair nets, school lunches, presidential birthday, and the state fair. Philadelphia did ones about at a bar after 11, married, anniversary gifts, hockey team loyalties, and Ronald McDonald. Fish noodle did ones about a high school prom lock-in, can't afford this, and driving a semi to Illinois.   

Free Ice Cream, Super-America

    I had a coupon for free ice cream today at Super-America but the first location I went to was all out. Then I tried another one after the comedy show, and they still had some. As the saying goes, while supplies last and selection varies by store. Some people go ape over anything free. I normally stop there to get dinner on the way to the comedy club, so it is part of my typical schedule. Notable at the comedy club was somebody breaking a drinking glass during the show, then she said a server had been called to clean it up but it never was. So as I was leaving I picked up the lion's share of the glass and put it in a nearby bin.
   I did take all of the festival buttons off my Saints baseball jersey to look closer at the names of the artists. I found out I did have some designed by siblings of The Button, from 2004 (my first year) and 2006. I think I actually have 2 from 2004, and the other is still pinned to a schedule of events. I had planned on sending one to my former boss and mentor, who is Canadian, but didn't. I had her in mind as to why I picked Little Canada when moving to Minnesota.
   Also at the comedy club, Nebraska did one about dog food commercials. Three by three was there, but I can't read my notes. Extra murder did ones about I can drive, and his wife and wine. University accountant did ones about Rosedale Mall and Taylor Swift. Maryland did ones about a gas station, yoga pants, Friends on Netflix, and Disney movies. Sub teacher did ones about Labor Day in China, a Catholic wedding, Comcast and Mozart, and a Redbox line. Olive Garden did ones about filing for bankruptcy, and George Lucas. School bouncer did ones about an NBA trophy photo, and Throwback Thursday. Wee bit did ones about Chucky Cheese, Great Clips, and oysters. Worthington did ones about ugly animals, tandem bikes, occupational therapy, Marley and Me, Facebook birthday, Dad's wine, knives, racehorse, choke hazard, and see Montana.

Oregon Trail, Mixed Blood Theater

    I saw the Fringe play called Oregon Trail this evening at Mixed Blood Theater, it was my first time attending a show at this venue. I saw it as I thought of the novel 'Covered Wagon' by Emerson Hough, somebody I write about every so often as this is my inspiration as a writer. It is about Oregon trail pioneers, and it also became a 1923 silent movie. But this was a decidedly different story, as it is based on the video game and I haven't played it at all. This it is my fourth show at Fringe.
     I also made it to my first ever Canadian Days parade, got plenty of pictures and it was nice to hear 2 bagpipe bands. One was from a local college, as I recall Macalester. It was also the first time I had seen Shriner zig-zag cars in years. An office colleague was in it promoting the upcoming Renaissance Festival, we briefly spoke.
    I saw two special exhibits at Minnesota history center, after the parade. These were about Hmong migration and the Ebony magazine fashion shows. I knew the latter would be closing soon, and I guess it is another example of Parkinson's Law where we find a way to get things done during the allotted time. I knew I wouldn't have time next weekend as I will be out of town. This was also true related to a play called You Can't Take It With You at Jungle theater. I probably will not see this play as it was hard to fit into my schedule. But with attending Fringe it was harder to justify, considering what I am paying to see Fringe.    

Bad Blood, T. Swift And K. Lamar

     I keep hearing the song 'Bad Blood' by Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar on my car radio while driving to the two festivals I am attending this weekend. I think I had written about this one before, but I didn't know the title, as it was catchy enough to recall the line 'Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes'.
   The day started early with getting to the Canadian Days pancake breakfast in Little Canada, free with the festival button. As usual I knew well enough to get in line before the bagpipe band started playing. I spoke with a man who said he was from Buffalo, NY, during this time. Somebody from the committee noticed I had 12 buttons pinned to my saints jersey (including this year's) and I posed for a photo. I said I was fine with being interviewed on camera, and the camera operator was available after an awards ceremony for the 5k run was finished. When I shared this on Facebook I did get a response. It was from duffel bag, who said she had designed the one from 2000, before I had moved to Minnesota. It is a good thing I buy them new as they are hard to find otherwise, and I have all of them since I moved here in 2004. I did luck out on finding two at an antique shop- 1976 (the first year) and 1985. I responded by saying that is so cool how she designed one of the buttons. I had been looking for a new name for this comic, and I think I will now call her The Button. The fun continued at this festival, as I returned in the evening after I had been at a Fringe show, the other festival I am attending. There was a karaoke session for two hours, I got there about midway through. I did two songs, 'Wonderful' by Everclear and 'Don't dream it' over' by Crowded House. I hadn't done it in a while, but still did well in spite of this. But I think I still did better on the second one.
   I did attend two shows at Fringe festival today, and it brings my total to three. There was a women's history play at 4pm, and a mash-up of Footloose and Sound of Music at 10pm. Because of the former I looked up Virginia Woolf, a writer mentioned in it. I found out she has very little to do with what I had heard of before, a story called 'Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?' With the latter I had seen the movie Footloose (1984 version) so the storyline was familiar. Even though I haven't seen 'Sound of Music' I think it has been parodied enough on shows like 'The Simpsons' where I was sharp enough to catch what was a Sound of Music reference. I also caught a Flashdance reference, it was well-placed. I also found a way to get my typical errand running done, including picking up mail at the post office and go to the grocery store. There was eight of my ten E-bay orders in the box, mostly postcards and first-day covers. It was nice to get the two Canadian postcards- a reminder of visiting Toronto for the Pan-Am Games. This was of Maple Leaf Gardens, and the Prince's Gate where the Canadian National Exhibition is held.