seatbelt in door

I was driving home tonight and at first couldn't figure out why my car door wouldn't shut. but I was tired and finally noticed that the seatbelt was stuck in the way. so after that everything was fine. I like how there are simple solutions at times.
   at the performance venue I mostly spoke of my recent visit to new York. the 'techie' liked hearing how I went to the university of iowa.
   at work there still was plenty of letter requests, I did what I could especially when I had a mentoring meeting in the afternoon. looks like a 'mock interview' may be happening soon, it was what I had wanted for a while and the previous two didn't get around to it for whatever reason.

convoy, CW McCall

I was checking youtube tonight and noticed one of the music videos listed on the front screen was 'convoy' by c.w. McCall. it was actually the opening segment from the movie. I had seen the movie before, and knew the sheriff was 'dirty lyle', played by ernest borgnine. and this movie had a good cast all around, with kris Kristofferson and burt young as well. my parents had this song as a single LP record, but that version was a little different than what was in the movie. and the flip side was 'roses for mama'.
   as expected, work was easier today, I not only got the payoff report and new titles done but also some new contracts as well as 21 settled/paid in full letter requests done. and we have secure print available again with the copiers.
   I did make it to the performance venue tonight, although there was construction delays and reroutes which didn't thrill me. so I had to start off my set with mention of it. I also said plenty about being in new York. my 'manufactured rival' was there performing, as well as the fancy comic.

searching for carts

when I was at work, my first day back after being in new York, I saw the Filipino man was trying to find a cart for the backpack drive when I was giving him a smashed penny souvenir. I found out it was a duplicate from last year's, didn't want it to go to waste. he said he does collect those, something about having ones from places like hong kong, and Wisconsin, and how his 4-year-old daughter likes to see them. I said a postcard is on the way as well.
  tonight I did make it to the performance venue, and some of my set was about being in new York. but I also did one about the TV show 'hee haw', inspired by the MC doing a southern or texas accent when he introduces me.

auntie anne's at la guardia

I flew back from NYC this afternoon and had a quick lunch from auntie anne's at la guardia. I had my st. louis visit in mind as I wanted to eat there then but they were out of what I wanted- pretzel bread wrapped around the hot dog. I got the cup of cheese with it. one of the flight attendants spoke of being an iowa native, a tall blonde with glasses.
   it didn't take long to unpack, as it was fairly typical for me: just a duffel bag, mostly dirty clothes and cheap souvenirs. a few chores and errands to do, like getting groceries as well as doing dishes and trash. and of course facebook activity, doing a posting about being back in Minnesota. I had seen the 'simpsons' episode, about the milk with growth hormones.

  

transit center, trenton, NJ

day 4 meant taking a train down to Trenton, NJ, and seeing my college roommate for the first time in 8 years. we had lunch and then I was back on the train to NYC. I write out my postcards on the train ride, 5 in all, one to me and two to office colleagues, one to dad and another to a classmate from high school. already had stamps, we found a box to get them in. not sure about tonight's plans, my new Yorker friend is busy. so it may mean a broadway or fringe show, otherwise a mets baseball game.

huguenot street, new paltz

made it to Huguenot street in new paltz, got a lot of pictures. also saw some of new Rochelle, where I rented the car. made it to the Yankees game, they beat the Orioles 14-3. got a smashed penny souvenir at the game. saw a contrary kid at mcdonald's this morning, and rats in the subway tracks.

yogi berra museum

day 2 in NYC meant leaving the city and seeing the yogi berra museum in little falls, NJ, on a university campus. as expected, I enjoyed being there as it combined 2 big interests: baseball and history. also wanted to see the Theodore Roosevelt home on long island, but not sure now if I will have the time while in town. a comfortable train got me all the way to the university from penn station. when I got back to penn station I bought a can of beer but couldn't find a place to drink it legally until I got back to my room, and that meant riding the subway a little to get there. it was a yuengling beer, hadn't had one before, but the can said it is from Pennsylvania. tonight I hope to find some stage time performing comedy in manhattan, based on the addresses both may be in Greenwich village.

brooklyn cyclones baseball

plans are to fly to new York city today, and see a minor league baseball game in the evening. the Brooklyn cyclones interest me, sounds like there is something at the stadium dedicated to the major league team that once played there, the dodgers.

disney tote bag

I had a long list of things to do today, a day off from work. the first thing I did was to go to the little Canada town hall and pick up the Disney tote bag from Canadian days. it looks very nice, red on the outside with mickey mouse images all over it. inside it said 'Disney world, 1971' and I knew this was when this park opened. I haven't been there, but I was at Disney-land in 1994. this was one of about ten things on my list to do, and I am thankful I got to all of them. I also inquired about the video I was in at last year's festival, and got a contact number.
   then it was on to Walgreen to find a bubble mailing envelope. I wanted to send cards to a classmate from high school, as well as my dad, from the fringe festival show I was in. tried to go to an ATM, but the one inside a booth had no functioning computer screen. I sang some lines from an Eminem song, 'need a doctor', that mentions a booth, and left. I got things printed at the Roseville library, and a state fair ticket from Cub Foods. on to the saints baseball stadium in downtown st. paul, got two tickets for next week. saw some office managers from work on my way to the stadium. then on to the post office to mail the two items, and to rent a garage for a few days. the final things was an online bank transaction, and doing laundry. I felt good about finding a way. then I made it to the performance venue, and spoke about some of these adventures, along with getting postcards from both parents in the past two days. I had to shorten my walk after the show, as the rain became a downpour and my jeans were soaked. the 'low fuel' light came on in my car as I was heading home, but no big deal when I am not driving it for a few days. I did clean out the garage before I first parked it in there. it was all junk, no treasure this time. one time I got a snow brush, and a little cooler. this time it was some plastic bottles, flattened carboard boxes, a bed frame, and what looked like siding for a house. I tossed it all in a nearby dumpster, and swept out the garage. no big deal to me, it is the 'janitor mentality' where I recall when it was my job to clean up after others. I snacked instead of had lunch, which is typical when I am active in the middle of the day. but I still had sensible meals for breakfast and dinner. and I picked up some soap at family dollar, where I saw a car that had eyelashes on the headlights.

informer, snow

I heard the song 'informer' by snow on my car radio when driving to the comedy club tonight. I found this song to be hard to follow since the lyrics are hard to comprehend. I did find them online, and watched the video on youtube as well. It sounds like he is saying 'dormez vous?' at one point, French for 'are you sleeping?' it is reggae, and by a Canadian. I did pick up the line about 'from jamaica' and the lyric search yielded the later line of actually being from Toronto. Wikipedia said it was based upon what actually happened to snow, being in jail, and the video does depict him in a jail cell at one point.
   I had plenty of new material ready for my performance. dad had sent me a jesse james postcard and brochure, from his Missouri travels. at one venue somebody said they had seen me dumping out a bottle and thought it was slapstick. others were about golfing, razors, rocky 5, next year's class reunion, and street performers. I've said it before, how as long as I live life and pay attention, I will have comedy material.
     this was my only day this week at the office. it took a while to finish my normal duties, the system was slow and the copier kept jamming. there was mini golf all over near my workspace, so it was noisy at times. I had some tortilla chips and cheese from one of them but did not golf at all. I did see the attorney when I was riding home tonight and spoke of upcoming plans, I liked hearing about her son's 'overactive imagination'. there was also mention of Thomas the tank engine, and I knew this was created by the 'puff puff parson' which led to me speaking of learning how 'parson' is a title-referring to being a preacher. I got confused when I saw 'parson weems' and 'mason weems' and found out it was the same man, who wrote the fable about George Washington chopping down the cherry tree. it was a grant wood painting as well. she made mention of neighborhoods in Bloomington, as apparently there are ones called 'oxboro' and 'oxborough'. I said I knew from british history class in college how the brits were often know by their titles, like 'duke of marlborough' and how it wasn't spelled the same as the cigarette due to the suffix not being used. or how the new England patriots, the NFL team, plays in Foxboro, MA, but sometimes the 'ugh' is on the end of the town name.

fortunate son, CCR

I was at the 9-hole golf course in Maplewood tonight, and the group in front of me had golf carts and I heard the song 'fortunate son' by CCR playing. I am reminded of how it is in the movie 'Forrest Gump', and I pay attention to the lyrics in it, like I do with most songs. 'it ain't me, I'm no millionaire's son, no senator's  son', saying I'm in Vietnam because I'm not fortunate enough. some of the themes in it are still relevant, like mention of the tax man coming to the door, and the house looks like a rummage sale. tax evasion is still rampant. I like another song of theirs, 'looking out my back door', as it mentions listening to Buck Owens.
   this was my second annual visit to the golf course, using a gift certificate I won at a united way fundraiser at the office. it was expiring soon. I had two golf clubs this time as I bought a driver at the goodwill in Roseville earlier today. it was still a 'comedy of errors' though, which works for me as I am a comedian. so don't expect me to be on the PGA tour anytime soon. the group in front of me said I appeared out of nowhere, I said I move quicker when I am the only one in my group. the sun was setting soon anyway, and I finished my round as it was getting dark and harder to see the flag marking the hole. this group made mention of bill murray amongst themselves when one of them was washing off golf balls, and I had been wondering of anyone was going to speak of the movie 'caddyshack'. I had an ice cream cone at mcdonald's after I was done. the closing ceremonies of the Olympic games from Rio were on when I was there.
   I spent much of my day getting souvenirs from the fringe festival into sheet protectors and then a binder before I went anywhere this afternoon. I did make it in time to perform at the donut show. I made a reference to being in fringe, the saints game with a SNL theme, my 8th grade history teacher, and getting ready for the round of golf.
    I also thought of how I have a class reunion next year. at this stage of my dad's life, he skipped that reunion as he was getting divorced. I have never been married, how odd would it be if I skipped this reunion due to getting married? still a longshot, but one never knows what the future might hold.

don't think twice movie

 I went to see the movie 'don't think twice' at the lagoon in Minneapolis tonight. I couldn't stay away from uptown Minneapolis for long after my role in fringe festival. I liked this movie, as a performer I found it to be realistic. many of the characters were relatable, and so were the themes covered in it. I may do stand-up comedy, and this one is about 'improv' comedy, but close enough. themes like the insecurity, jealousy and competitiveness was familiar. I had seen a previous mike birbiglia movie, 'sleepwalk with me', also realistic about performing comedy. And I liked how they covered the 'business of doing comedy', another story that needs to be told. it inspired me to look up a song listed in the closing credits, written by bob Dylan, that seems to suggest the movie title itself. I listened to 2 versions on youtube, and I liked the one by johnny cash more than bob Dylan's version, no surprise there.
   I tried to tour the Sinclair lewis home in sauk centre but I got started later than I wanted to, and another factor figured into it being a 'no-go'. I had lunch at the A and W in Albany, about 20 miles away, and my camera battery died on me there. didn't want to do the tour if I couldn't take pictures, so I will have to postpone until labor day weekend.

star trek and katy perry

I went to a burlesque show tonight, and notable was seeing a male dancer perform in a star rek outfit while a katy perry song- 'e.t.'-was playing. he also had an inflatable green alien as a prop. I had to skip this show last month as I was out of town.
   I like attending these burlesque shows, it feeds my intellectual side as I know many of the things being parodied. it started off with a show producer dancing to 'bippity boppity boom', then looking like snow white, and then mary poppins- by then 'spoonful of sugar' was playing. she capped it with 'we are siamese' and a mashup- mickey mouse with 'mickey so fine'. I liked seeing bombshell labelle as usual, the Melissa joan hart look-alike. she danced to 'suicide blonde' by INXS. I really liked the harmonica solo in it.

too many acronyms

my senior leader had a meeting during the first half of the day, and I will admit it was hard to keep my attention there as too many acronyms were used by the speaker, who happened to be his boss, who is in a different office. I have said this before but it seems like people still are using acronyms all the time. I have to look up some of them online to understand the meaning. and of course some have multiple meanings, like AMA can mean 'ask me anything' and 'against medical advice'.
   tonight I liked going to a comedy event at a micro-brewery in downtown st. paul, as part of the magnotronic podcast. I saw many people I knew there. I left with a bag of ruffles potato chips, as they would otherwise have been thrown away. another event, a picnic at a park, was canceled due to the weather, though I don't think it ever really rained at all. I saw a few raindrops when I was walking home after getting off the bus in the evening, but that was it.
   the two 'big banfg theory' episodes tonight were leonard and penny getting back together and trying to keep it secret, as the syndicated rerun. and Sheldon's grandma visiting and not liking amy in the prime time episode. I did watch some of a rerun of 'good times' instead of the 6pm news as well, as I still had it on that 'companion channel' from the day before.

sad summer songs

I made an observation in my comedy sets tonight how there are some sad summer songs, and how it fits my persona. this would be 'endless bummer' by weezer, 'summertime sadness' by lana del rey, and 'cruel summer' by bananarama. I made it to two different venues, but I was tired after the second one. I sat outside and talked to a friend, then I went home. I spoke of adding people to the 'ring of honor' recently and somebody asked if there was an application process. this made me laugh a little, as some of the things I hear about the project are priceless. at the first venue, I noticed one of the show posters was from a comedy festival in great Britain, and there were plenty of union jack flags on the chickens in the food store next to a rubber chicken. there was also some oversized golf balls next to the venue, and I was told a golfing business had just opened up. so of course this was one of my photos of the night.

rainbow connection

I was reminded of the song 'rainbow connection' from the muppet movie when I saw a rainbow tonight. I was about to go to Walgreen to do photos, add more people to the 'ring of honor', but had to pause to enjoy it. and I did perform after going to Walgreen, near the end of the show. it was about my history teacher, a role in fringe, and the saints game over the weekend.
   it was also helpful to attend an interviewing seminar at the office, wrote down plenty of notes. I didn't want to go that bad as it overlapped a little with my lunch hour, but I also knew the other session conflicted with my senior leader's meeting later in the week. I am hopeful that this means I can avoid some of the mistakes in interviewing. it wasn't just my current mentor, who was the event coordinator, that made a difference in this seminar. it was also what some of the panelists said. I shouldn't be afraid of interviewing, and I know I have said it before in life, how 'I've got this'. one of those helpful things will be having a short memory, if that is possible for me. or ignoring the doubts in my own mind.

dreams, fleetwood mac

I liked performing at an open-mic tonight, my set was close to what I performed at fringe festival. but I was also impressed with a music act that played 'dreams' by Fleetwood mac, and then 'say it ain't so' by weezer. I got the 'how right I was' feeling when these songs were played, or I sometimes call it a 'self-validating moment'. this is a powerful feeling, I try to recall when I get it as often as I can.
   it was a long day at the office, took a while to complete the payoff report. in spite of this I still got to the new titles and perfected them. there was a dust-up about a letter request, wanting me to give it priority, but I didn't as a colleague who works them said her boss needed to do this 'special' letter to see it is done properly. I saw that more people were copied on the email thread instead of just in the 'cc' (or carbon copy) section. it is another piece of evidence on how I like being thorough, and only doing what I am allowed to do and qualified to do.

fringe after-party

there was one more performance with the fringe festival, this afternoon. I went to the library and printed some things, and did the dishes before heading to the venue. pleased how I got parking in the back, I said I was lucky as I got the last spot. this of course does make it easier to enter from the back as well. it was nice to see two people from the comedy circuit in the crowd, it was jane goodall, and blake. I spoke with them after the show but was prompted by a cast-member that I needed to claim my bag, which was still in the dressing room. as I was coming up the stairs, after taking a few more photos, the techie said 'you've got to go'. I had a feeling that she didn't like me, but was told she probably was a grouch from having to work every show at the venue. we got a group photo in the bar area after the show, and it was nice to chat with some patrons outside as well. one spoke of going to the university of iowa like I did. I did pick up some more souvenirs, now it means finding the time to go through them and get them into a sheet protector and of course in a binder. I went across the street to get an ice cream sandwich at the super-America. when I finally left Bryant-lake bowl I went to the bobby and steve's and got a godfather's pizza as it was 6pm. I wanted to eat before the show I was attending at 7pm, 'when she became me- a pro choice play about abortion'. it was over at the university, at rarig. it was the 10th show I attended. I reviewed it well, saying I like documentaries and biographies and consider it to be a documentary. I like hearing the stories of real people. the after-party was at triple rock social club, I arrived shortly after it began at 9pm and stayed for 2 hours. I liked seeing three by three there, I said I did see one of his shows. I spoke with four others I didn't know, one was a fringe volunteer. another was part of a 'game of thrones' show. a third recognized me from performing at the comedy marathon, I said I would like to be on his podcast. the fourth was at the end of the bar when I was getting a picture of the stag beer sign on the wall, I had two cans of stag beer at this event. didn't ask what his fringe connection  was. I said I liked having a role this year, and hopefully I get another role next year. according to the show runner, our pay will likely be available later this month. sounds like I am not alone on going out of town before long since fringe festival is over, as the show runner, resistable comic, has travel plans as well.  

stuart smalley

tonight at the st. paul saints baseball game I played stuart smalley as part of the Saturday night live theme. this character was originally played by al franken, and some fans made franken comments, some more flattering than others. I loved doing this gig, the VIP treatment as we got in free and got food vouchers. the event coordinator may not have said 'it will be like shooting fish in a barrel' but he might as well have. it was rather simple, as many fans recognized our characters and asked for pictures. I had done Zombie night last season, and was in only one 'selfie'. I was on way more smartphones tonight. I was even offered some of their food, like a few peanuts or part of an ice cream sandwich. this is why I enjoy performing, also due to seeing the 'underbelly' of the stadium and seeing more things behind the scenes. I said I would like to do this kind of thing more often. what made it possible, of course, was how I didn't have a performance scheduled for the fringe show I am in. we have one more, on sunday. near the end of the game I found gert the flirt, and it was nice to talk about performing with her. notable was how I drank plenty of water throughout, three bottles. but it was a warm night, and my costume probably made it warmer. one performer said she had been hit on and I said I wasn't, but later on in the game I was. whoever that hit on me was probably drunk, but I will take it. as usual, I did my best to pick up souvenirs from this event as I like documenting my comedy career. notable was a 'draw-along scorecard', provided by the team's community art program. I liked seeing what looked like a man in an Oktoberfest outfit on it.
   the day started as an ambivalent one for me. I went to my post office box and the one item waiting for me was from Canadian days. it was a letter saying I had won a Disney tote bag. now I will have to figure out when I can pick it up. it said I had to pick it up during 'business hours' and my next weekday off is more than a week away. after this I got ready for a date, but I waited at a coffee shop ofr 30 minutes and my date didn't show up so I went home. I posted on facebook about how I have been on e-harmony nearly as long as I have done stand-up, almost 8 years, and all I have received from it was jokes, and I was looking for more. this was re-posted by a fellow comic and his posting got more likes than my original one. I also was asked on facebook by bathtub if I had a certain snoopy figurine, I said I did not. but I know I am known as the resident Charlie brown fan, and I liked how he was thinking of me. I even found a coin from the Netherlands when I was at the grocery store, so it was a mostly good day for me. the coin was put in a mylar cover and then in an album, and I have a good collection going. in the morning I had a breakfast sandwich at a McDonald's that just re-opened, it was nice to see what they do with orders now where they bring them out to you. but the ketchup dispenser wasn't working, so I didn't put any on my hash brown. no big deal to me.

russell clayton

I saw on facebook this week how my 8th grade history teacher, mr. Russell clayton, had died. it meant something to me as this was a strong influence in the area of history, and why I eventually made it my college major. I shared my story on the facebook posting, as well as a condolence with the funeral home, pence-reese in newton, iowa. well tonight I said I was going to make mention of mr. clayton in my comedy set during the fringe festival. I did so near the end, and spoke of seeing dueling pistols (replicas) in his class.
   this was the fourth performance in the fringe show, and I think it went better than the third. it felt like I got more laughs anyway. this was the main change to my comedy set. I picked up a few more souvenirs as well. one of them was inspired by what happened backstage during the show. I kicked a cup down the stairs, found it after the show, was informed it wasn't ours. it was a coffee cup, and there was some left so it spilled out at the bottom of the stairs. I got some paper towels to wipe it up, and kept the cardboard that encircled the cup. I also kept the beer coaster from having a drink after the show, I had a Schlitz beer. I had to park on the street, next to the super-America across the street from the venue. the techie scolded me for using the front entrance, but I parked out front as there was no parking in the back. I also picked up a postcard about software coding jobs that was in the bathroom, an odd place to leave them.
   this evening I went to eat at taco bell after falling asleep in my easy chair after starting to watch the baseball game on fox. it was the Yankees playing the rays, hadn't seen many games on TV this season. there was a ceremony at the start honoring alex rodriguez, who is being released by the team. there was some rumors that he still may want to sign with another team, as he is near the 700 home run mark. after the show I checked the score online and it said the Yankees won 6-3. after taco bell I went to a mcdonald's that had just re-opened this week, and got an ice cream cone. looks like they don't have redbox though.
  at work it was nice to get caught up on letters, but I had some help which made a difference. I got an ice cream sandwich from the Filipino man as he brought around the treat cart, a fundraiser for the backpack drive. looks like that will be wrapping up soon.

endless bummer, weezer

I went to the comedy club tonight as jane goodall was doing the contest. at the end of the show I heard a song and tried to write down key lyrics. I think it is 'endless bummer' by weezer, after an online search, based on the 'trying not to stare at her chest' lyric. it was hard to hear in the club, even with covering one ear. I understand the sentiment, where he wants the summer to end. in many ways it has the same spirit, and message, as 'cruel summer' by bananarama. it is from their 'white' album apparently, the band is known for self-titled albums named after the color. I have the blue, and green, albums. jane did not win tonight, but she will be added to the 'ring of honor'. tetris was feature, and wee bit was MC. I liked hearing tetris doing the mount Everest bit. wee bit did do his 'signature' joke from working construction. I wanted to be wearing my lanyard in the 'ring of honor' photo to remind me it was during the fringe festival, but on a night when I had no performance. we will be on again late Friday though.
   I watched a syndicated rerun of 'big bang theory' tonight, before heading for the club. it was the one where amy Farrah fowler was made the 'maid of honor' for Bernadette's wedding, and amy at one point was playing a sad song on her harp, 'everybody hurts' by REM.
   I panicked a little about not bringing two bills with me this morning to do the 'pay by phone' thing, as both were due today. but one of them was a credit card, no problem finding the 800 number. the other was my cell phone bill, and an online search found that number as well. so I liked how there was some simple solutions available.
   I may have a date this weekend, I had to check what the cross streets are for a coffee shop we plan on meeting at. and at the office, I didn't like how an advisory board meeting ran long.

driving my life away, eddie rabbitt

I was driving home tonight and heard a song I had heard many times before, called 'driving my life away' by eddie rabbitt. after all of the rain, actually it was still raining some, it seemed appropriate. thee is a line about the 'windshield wipers slapping out a tempo' although another song of his is more about rain, 'I love a rainy night'.
   this evening after work I wasn't home for all that long, as I wanted to get to a fringe show, it was 'becoming inga' at the u. of Minnesota. I had seen it before, outside of fringe, at Bryant lake bowl, and was thankful to see it again. it was funny and honest, and many can relate to leading a 'double life'. also relatable in terms of we don't always choose the pivotal moments in life, where fate intervenes to change us and make us more complete. it was the 9th show I had seen at the festival. I was afraid of needing to get up and having to use the bathroom during the show, as I arrived just minutes before it began, but I managed to last through the show and then some. I got some photos of the venue, and it was minutes after it ended when I was finally in dire need of a bathroom break. I waited a while outside the venue for the rain to let up, but eventually I walked the two blocks back to where my car was in a parking ramp. I just didn't want to get soaked as I had no umbrella with me. I went across town to perform at another venue but it was called off due to the storms. I stayed to have a beer and watch some of the coverage of the Olympic games.
   at the office it was the first time in a while that we had done the afternoon walk, something I really like to do. I spoke of getting  a hotel room reserved for new York, and how I want to figure out soon what day to go to the state fair.

yellow sauce

I went to perform at an open-mic and many references were made to 'yellow sauce'- or mustard. I liked getting to one of my regular places for performing during the fringe festival. I started off with saying why I wasn't there last week- and it led to a reference to my dad referring to bob dylan and willie nelson as 'old hippies'. then it was on to callbacks. one was about the song 'greensleeves' and another was about beyonce. I did make a reference to my first time attending a fringe show, in 2012, and how internet dating hasn't panned out. finally a story about looking for a hotel in new York, and bus fare comic tried to play his 'what is that?' game and I called his bluff.
   I took a half day off from my office job to get to the fringe performance on time, as it was at 5:30pm. I had pizza in the skyway, and after taking the bus home I slept for a little while. then I got up and did some errand running like return a CD to cheapo since I already had it. I got a pearl jam CD in exchange, 'binaural'. and I sold another one for a quarter, but I had two and the store wouldn't buy the other one, saying it is because it is a single. I voted in the primary election, not much on the ballot. then I got some photos of a rebuilt fast food place that will be re-opening soon. I did some mapquest directions for my drive over to the venue, staying off the interstate highways since it was rush hour.
   as expected, I changed my set a little for the third performance. there was a decent crowd but we weren't getting the laughs. I did pick up some more souvenirs, even if one of them was a bottle cap in the 'green room'. I already have similar items in my comedy binder, documenting my career. I am trying to pick up as many souvenirs as I can from this fringe gig. after the performance I went to get some dinner at the nearby super-America and then it was on to the huge theater, also close by, for a burlesque show.

wait in the alley

when I arrived at Bryant lake bowl tonight for the second performance of the fringe show I am in I was told to wait in the alley as the previous show wasn't out yet. I had a hard time with hearing this, but I complied as I had no choice. the show runner feels this one went better than the first, and I concur. I did change my set a little, but it was mainly adding things instead of replacing. I did make a reference to Charles Lindbergh, and sam the eagle (from the muppets) in this one. after we took a bow the show runner encouraged people to write reviews. I may have stepped on jokes a little, but I knew to avoid the problem from the first performance- where my voice was slipping. so I got water from a big jug outside the venue and near the bowling area.
   I also liked how I had enough time to get to another show this evening, it was the Dillinger play at the university. this is the 7th show I have attended, due to the artist pass I have. as a history major I liked finding this play, even if I wasn't familiar with the story they were covering when he was in the twin cities in 1934 on good Friday. after the show I saw a Pizza luce box on the steps outside the building, some pizza was still inside but I didn't eat it. I found a trash bin for it.
   I saw the attorney while riding home this evening, she said she often takes her work home. sounded like a compromise in terms of not wanting to, as she said, 'give up her kids for adoption' or 'give up her marriage'. I haven't had to make these choices yet, but I already said my hat was off to her.

AMC car show

I went to 3 shows today at the fringe festival. after the first one, about 'Charlie brown and snoopy' creator Charles schulz, I was driving past a gas station that had a rooftop concert. there was an AMC car show there, so I parked nearby and got a look around. there was mention of the company origins going back to the 1800s, about rambler bicycles, made in Chicago. it does remind me of how the athletic teams at Loyola university in Chicago are called 'ramblers', but I still wonder if there is a connection at all. American motors lasted from 1954-1987, and was 'the last of the independents'.
  and yes, I was beaming while watching the play about Charles schulz. I didn't learn all that much as I was already well-read about him, but it was great to see such a good impersonation. he even drew the characters well! I probably should have been wearing my Charlie brown 'trucker hat'. second play I saw was 'most dangerous game', whopper was in it. I had read the story in high school. this play version of it was funny. I liked the venue as well, southern theater, great backdrop, well-worn bricks. third one was a love story called 'the invention of baseball', but it wasn't all that much about baseball. still a weird but compelling love story. the promo card was misleading as it had a parody of the album cover from 'born in the USA' by bruce springsteen, but bruce isn't mentioned at all, let alone any of his music though there were plenty of songs in it. it was nice to go home after the second show for a little while and rest, as well as do the dishes. I tried watching 'the simpsons', about lisa wanting to go to mars, but I fell asleep before it ended. I called and left a message with my ex about the Charles schulz play, as we were both big fans of Charlie brown. now I have seen 6 shows at fringe, and have reviewed each one I have seen. reviews on the show I am in are mixed, after one performance. though one reviewer did say the stand-up sets were good.

call and answer, barenaked ladies

I went to a fringe show this evening, and I liked hearing a barenaked ladies song, 'call and answer', being part of a dance choreography segment. I am thankful it was listed in the program so that made it easier to find online later. the video mostly takes place in a cookie cutter world, with white VW cars and suburban homes. I liked various lyrics in it, such as 'be myself again', 'i'll point you home', and 'crazy messed up things you do'. I saw this band in concert at allstate arena in Rosemont when I lived in suburban Chicago, memorable as it was on new years eve. of course, like many others, I know them for having the theme song to the TV show 'big bang theory'. so now I have seen three shows at fringe besides the one I am in.
   it was no big deal changing my schedule a little today, a day known for errand running. I moved up when I went to my post office box, there was two postcards and the amazon orders- two Charlie brown books, and the don rickles DVD. after the show was done I went on to the Roseville library, where I printed things and wanted to order a plane ticket for new York city. except I got bogged down in the cost of the plane ticket, knowing full well it should have been ordered earlier in the week. eventually I said 'just get it done', but it was after the show that i attended this evening. I will be flying into Newark and out of LaGuardia, a layover in Chicago on the way there but nonstop when headed home. I still need to figure out the other logistics like the hotel room, but shaving a day off the trip may make it easier to find an affordable hotel in manhattan. I will be there for 4 days now instead of 5. I let my new Yorker friend know, as well as my college roommate, as I hope to see both while in the area.
    it was no problem getting ready for the show, of course a shower and shave before I departed for the venue. since it was at 1pm I got lunch before I arrived. it was at Bryant lake bowl in Minneapolis, so I went to the super-America across the street. the clerk recognized me from me stopping there before the rehearsal nearly a week ago, and he said 'break a leg'. my set went fine, though I could tell my voice was slipping a little. I might have talked a little too much before going on, though I had gulped down a bottle of sparkling water from super-America so I had hoped I would be fine. I am not sure how many people actually noticed, but I did since I know what I sound like. a fellow cast-member did say I was fine. I asked to keep one of the programs let behind, as I want as many souvenirs as possible from this venture for my comedy binder. we left the 'green room' shortly after we were done, as another show was happening shortly after ours. but I pack light so it didn't take long after our show was done.

weirdo haven

I am wearing my 'artist pass' from the fringe festival and it says on one side 'theater is a haven for weirdos. glorious, glorious weirdos'. I am already taking advantage of having this pass, by attending two shows tonight, both at the 'round theater'. one was a satire about air travel, and the other about being biracial. I had seen shows done by these actors or directors before. I laughed more at the one about air travel, but I liked the honesty in the other one. I spent some time going over the schedule of plays that were of interest to me, and what my schedule allowed. looks like the first weekend will be a busy one for me. and I got some ideas for a few more shows to attend just by seeing the cards at the venue tonight. I did get reviews of both shows on the website already. I knew I needed to get on the road to the venue shortly after I was done eating at taco bell in the evening as they do not allow latecomers to be seated. I arrived about five minutes before showtime, after walking from my parking spot of course. somebody said they recognized me after the second show, as I was walking back to my car, but I didn't know them. I thought it was odd.

red robin burgers and brews

tonight after watching 'big bang theory' I went to a red robin and had a drink as I was meeting a friend there. I hadn't been to this establishment before as far as I know. I said it was hard to mapquest it as it was on a 'half street' in Bloomington, but I still found it no problem. I checked an online map so I had a good idea of the cross streets and major arteries. notable was seeing some artwork behind us, it was 'the dude' from 'big lebowski'.
    I watched two 'big bang theory' episodes tonight. syndicated rerun was when penny claimed a chair that had a critter in it, and amy Farrah fowler was asked by Sheldon to speak to her about it. I liked penny saying 'what's up, buttercup' to Sheldon after his knocking. prime time episode was when leonard and penny see the same psychiatrist.
   at the office I let the Filipino man know that I was interested in helping out with the backpack drive, as it is proven that this is somebody I can work with well. I said I would probably need to be caught up on my normal duties and notify my boss as to where I happened to be. I said my slowest day is Friday, and I have been wanting to help out in any way I can- especially after ending my involvement in the Roosevelt mentoring program earlier this year. I claimed the final pack of contracts and perfected them, but due to the boat tour the previous day there was no new titles submitted to us. I did do more settled and paid in full letters, but only after the manager of that department was done for the day to avoid duplication of efforts.
  

padelford boat tour

at the office this afternoon we did a boat tour on the padelford. I think we had done this before, but it had been a while. I recalled seeing a picture of dred scott on a boat before. good food and drink there, and of course it was more photo friendly as well.
   I did make it home earlier than usual, even after going back to the office to get my backpack. but when I got home I slept for a little while, then had dinner and knew I needed to get more cards displayed for the upcoming fringe show. pleased that I got to five more places with bulletin boards. the barnes and noble book shop did not have one, but the guard recognized me from performing at chatbox so he got one! then it was one of the stories I told in my set when I arrived at the performance venue. a spoken word artist was wearing a Chicago bears jersey, devin hester, number 23. he had spoken before of beign at the e-2 nightclub on the night of the tragedy in 2003. he was on tonight before I was.

american association all-star game

I was back at the saints stadium tonight as the actual all-star game was being played. the north team, which had saints players on it, beat the south team 6-1. I had a hot dog and some root beer at the game before I got an 'ice cream cookie'. it was a chocolate chip cookie and vanilla ice cream. I arrived after 7pm but the game hadn't started yet. this came as no surprise as a special event like this usually has plenty of ceremonial events. I got to my seat just as the first batter came to the plate and stayed there until the after-game fireworks were done. I had a little trouble getting the root beer can open and it led to a minor cut on a finger, but it didn't seem to break the skin. I had it wrapped in  a napkin for a while, keeping an eye on it, but it was fine. the ceremonial 'last pitch' of the game was in reference to the site of next year's American association/can-am all-star game. it will be in Ottawa, Canada, as part of the nation's 150th anniversary celebration. it was one of my pictures of the video board, one of many pictures of the night.
   at the office, i was telling the Filipino man how I decided to research hotel room rates in his native land and was surprised how low they were. I did this on hotels dot-com, where I have a loyalty account, I was pleased to find out they have hotels listed outside of the USA and Canada. but that still leaves the plane tickets, which are expensive. so I still need a good reason to fly to manila. although it intrigues me when he tells me I would be treated 'like a god' over there as they seem to like americans. he claims it is due to the americans liberating them from the Spanish, and then the Japanese. I said I would still want to study the culture before I went there. it was an easier day as expected with my normal duties. and I liked getting another thing crossed off my list, getting a room key from a Hilton hotel back to a Hilton downtown close to work. that is the kind of thing that I do, return what I find instead of just throw it in the trash. I had headphones on as I was listening to a CD this morning so I left it at the front desk and left without saying a word to anyone there.

soul asylum concert

I went to the saints baseball stadium, CHS field, tonight. it was the first of two All-Star nights. there was a home run derby, and some musicians. soul asylum capped the night, a reminder of my college days in iowa city. I had bought their CD, 'grave dancers union', when it was new. and I bought another one, 'let your dim light shine', over the weekend. listening to both, as expected, really primed me well for this show. I recalled 5 songs from 'union' being played, 'somebody to shove', 'black gold', 'runaway train', 'april fool', and 'without a trace'. I recalled 2 songs from 'shine' being played, 'misery', and 'just like anyone'. I liked getting some pictures of the band during the show, fairly close up, since I have the zoom lens. their set was just over an hour long.
   I arrived after the first event of the night, a celebrity softball game, had started, but it didn't interest me much. the home run derby and soul asylum show interested me more. a saints player, Alonzo Harris, did reach the finals of the home run derby, but he was edged out by a player from the Lincoln, Nebr., team. I am thankful it finally worked out on seeing a concert at the saints stadium again. it was just the second saints concert, and the first since I saw bob Dylan and willie nelson in 2005. of course that one was at the previous one, midway stadium.
   it was a busy day at the office, so of course I looked forward to getting to the baseball stadium tonight. I had to cover for my colleague, on a day that of course is already high volume. and I had a meeting through the mentoring program in the afternoon. I got more cards distributed to office colleagues, about the fringe show I am in. I am now down to 15. looks like I can move up the night when I can go display more on bulletin boards, as the match dot-com event I signed up for was canceled. a bummer, but they did refund to paypal.