tim hortons, maplewood

made my first visit to tim hortons in Maplewood this afternoon. I wanted to go there before, but they close at 8pm every day of the week. I had some apple juice and a pumpkin spice donut. I found a DVD movie at that town's library as well, and watched two I had bought from amazon as research for more sketch filming on reviewing things. also listened to a selena Gomez CD in my car, just arrived at my PO box, an amazon order. tonight I went to the karaoke venue, and did 'mother's little helper' by the rolling stones. I wrote about it in history class in college. also saw a lady there who recalled me from before, she was part of the couple that met on OK cupid. she did 'believe in a thing called love'.

what it's like, everlast

I did some more karaoke tonight, after attending a high school football game. for whatever reason, I chose 'what it's like' by everlast, even though it wasn't on the list I carry with me. but I always recalled the social commentary in it, and I think that was why I wanted to do it. the video shows the musician performing in the desert, and there are three stories that he tells. the first is the panhandler outside of the liquor store. then there is the young woman who is pregnant and decides to go to the clinic, apparently for an abortion. then there is the man dealing drugs that gets killed. I don't mind the swearing in it at all, as it lends some authenticity to it. taking it out wouldn't be honest enough. and I understand why some performers do social commentary, as they feel obligated to when they have a world view that not all others have. most memorable is the line 'god forbid you'd have to walk a mile in their shoes' which precedes the song title. the video also shows the musician underwater at one point. and I liked the ending as well, where there was a crowd looking at a window display. it appeared to be an 'ideal family' around a dinner table. much like before, I got there near the end of the night. it sounds like the show runner prefers that arrive even earlier, and I arrive when I can.
   first event of the evening was a high school football game. I went to south st. paul, where they were playing Mahtomedi, for homecoming. SSP got 2 TDs in the first quarter to go up 14-0, the second was just over a minute after the first, after a turnover. no scoring in the second quarter, so this was also the halftime score. I liked how the band was playing 'confident' by demi Lovato. I was in line for food at halftime, it took a while to get served. I went there just before the half ended, and it was 20 minutes for halftime and I finally had food and drink more than halfway through this 20 minutes. I was in line behind a man who said he was there with his grandson, who appeared to be no older than age 5. he carried him on his shoulders for a little while. I said I would have liked knowing my grandparents better, but most of them passed when I was too young to remember them well. Mahtomedi gets the ball to start the second half, and gets on the board to narrow the lead to 14-7. 3rd quarter ended with this score. SSP gets 2 more TDs near the end of the quarter to go up 27-7. Mahtomedi gets the ball with under 2 minutes left and gets another TD to narrow it to 27-13, and this became the final score after a failed onside kick and SSP doing 2 kneel-downs.
   the boxes of files in the vault were sent on a truck this morning to florida, so I had less to do at the office today. I got a lot of little things done, like schedule an eye appointment, since I had more time to cross things off of my list. I have two more weeks and then we are done. we had 'build your own burger' at midday. and before that I went to our AA, who handles the office newsletter, and I was informed that it is fine to do another how-to article. it will be published next week. I was aware that the most recent one was from September 1, but I didn't want it to be the last. so I am thankful I get to do a 'coda'.

2 rice meals

there was plenty of food at the office at midday, so I didn't need to heat up the can of soup I brought. there was a last-day potluck for a colleague, so there was the first part of it. this was fried rice I chose, much like what is found at a Chinese restaurant. the second part was in the main breakroom, as there was a presentation of west African culture. two types of rice at the second event, one was kind of spicy and the other buttery. but it was all good. we are nearing the end, as this was the final day that I did the payoff report. others came into the vault to box up the files, and it was largely done by the end of the day. I did my best to stay out of their way, and pull documents I needed earlier. the not founds could be done later on, they usually are going to stay that way. my work spouse said we aren't doing the payoff report on Friday as the truck arrives to send it all to florida in the morning, so no time for it. I said it was a good thing that I stayed busy for a while, so then I had an excuse not to help out with this project. I try to avoid emotional things, and packing up my line of work would be an emotional thing. I knew this day was coming, but it still the least bit tough to know that the end is near for my current role. but now I have more time to start writing the 'next chapter' of my life, meaning, find my next job, next role.
   I am also thankful I made it to the karaoke bar, albeit later in the evening than typical. I fell asleep while watching the football game, bears-packers, and I don't see the bear that much so I wanted to see some of it. easier to watch it at home, too loud at a bar. bears didn't fare well though. there was a weather delay near the end of the first quarter, lightning in the area. I think this is about the time that I fell asleep. I saw some of it at the bar, but the bears were way behind by then. they fell behind early, 14-0. anyway, one I arrived I did one song, 'punk rock girl' by the dead milkmen. I was thinking about it as it was part of a facebook posting a day earlier. and it was on my list of 'karaoke ideas', had been for a little while. also liked hearing a lady do 'take a bow'. had to look it up, I know there is more than one song with this title. it was Rihanna's that I heard. I knew there was one by Madonna too, but the lyric search said rihanna. the songs seem to have a similar theme, about a woman saying 'show is over' to her man since she feels disrespected by her man.
   it meant something to be at the karaoke venue tonight, as I knew it was the final night for larry the harmonica guy, as he is going to Arizona for the winter and will be back in may. although I made it after he was done performing. but still great to see him. he offered me some of his licorice, pretty good. some others, including the barmaid, were also wanting to say goodbye so it is proof that he is well-liked. it is more evidence of how performing has changed me. I have enjoyed all of those that I have met, my circle of friends. and because of the emotional attachment, it means more to me when they leave. although I am reminded of my class motto when I graduated from high school, as the final line was 'goodbye is not forever'. or at least it doesn't have to be. was this why I got another one of those 'how right I was' feelings tonight while at the bar? probably. I haven't been keeping track of it as much as I was, since I seem to have them so much more often now. because I am out doing things and enjoying life way more than I was. these feelings might also be known as a 'self-validating moment'. the first time I recall getting one? after I had left iowa for suburban Chicago. maybe not right away, but once I felt comfortable enough there. and yes, when I was out doing something. no fun to stay home all the time. I let the button know about larry, as she helped me find this karaoke venue and I wanted to let her know I am thankful for the stage time I get and finding another performing outlet besides just doing stand-up.

movie songs by sia

found another movie song done by sia. in the 'you might like' section of my youtube page I saw 'California dreamin', and sia's version was done for a disaster movie, 'san andreas'. I had recently found out another song of hers, 'bird set free', was in a shark attack movie, 'the shallows'. when I found 'dreamin' I had to let mason city know, as I recalled a while back that we discussed 'punk rock girl' by the dead milkmen in a facebook posting. and the song 'California dreamin' is name-checked in it, the beach boys version. but of course the best known version is an earlier one, by the mamas and the papas. I am thankful for his music education, but sometimes I am self-taught.
   we had more pizza at the office today, but this time at midday. It was in reference to re-signing a client to a long-term deal. there was plenty of pizza to be had, and still some left at the end of the day so I am wondering if there will be a second chance at it. my work spouse said the truck will be here Friday to take away documents, so we are nearing the end. his explains why some were boxing things up before I had the payoff report pulled. I had another meeting about the next chapter with a senor leader in the afternoon, after having pizza of course.
   I fell asleep for a while in the evening after getting home and having some dinner. then I went to the performance venue. I liked how even though it is the same set as I've had at other venues this week, there was one crowd member who gave me another idea about finding the CD.

holding serve

I said that my day at the office was 'holding serve'. since I got 2 packs of contracts perfected and filed, and 2 just arrived this week. I started with one, so there still is one left. I am under the impression now that my cohort may not be back at all, as she has been absent since labor day. I have been doing what I can, and quite well. we also had breakfast pizza, pretty good.
   I made it to the performance venue in the evening, and I had to do a joke about one of the hosts being unfamiliar with the 'dude code'. he is still kind of young, just turned 21. others were about corporate gig, streaker at football game, blushing bride, hood ornament. one new comic was a trainwreck, to say the least. we noticed how he left his notes behind.
   I also heard from bathtub's sister, on facebook, who said she is a contributing musician on her mom's CDs as well. still trying to figure out the best way to acquire some more of them, I noticed they are all available at amazon.

his mom's CD

I saw plenty of comedy friends tonight as I was at the clubs, one of them was bathtub. I said I saw a CD at cheapo and she had the same name, he said 'that's my mom'. so I went back to see if it was still at the store, and it was. so I bought it for a dollar, worth it! he warned me about how it would be sad songs, but I don't mind. I spoke of how one of my favorite bands is smashing pumpkins, and they have a double CD called 'mellon collie and the infinite sadness'. that says a lot about me liking sad songs. I have a good collection going of CDs done by friends, over 40, and it will go next to the others. already listened to it in my car, it sounds fine. I compare the price I paid to two other things. a CD by the Wisconsin girl was still there, and the asking price was $6 more than his mom's CD. and my next visit was to a family dollar, where I got 4 rolls of TP for the same price as his mom's CD. but I really like having the CD, as it will last way longer.
   at the performance venue, I did ones about performing for colleagues, streaker at football game, being filmed doing karaoke, hood ornament, his mom's CD, and the family dollar cashier.
   it was bust as usual at the office, but I got plenty done including a meeting about my resume and the jobs to apply for. so no carryover on accounts from the payoff report.

swapping lighbulbs

I was tired of the lack of working lightbulbs in my home and decided to switch them around a little to see if it made a difference. and it seems like it has, so now it is just one light out instead of two.
  I liked how there wasn't much to do today, much like Saturday. I got some sheet protectors and a bottle of sparkling water at a Walgreen. And I slept a lot in the afternoon as well. in the evening I knew I needed to get the dishes, trash, and recycling done. I also went to mcdonald's and had an ice cream cone.
   a comedy friend asked me on facebook my opinion about the TV show 'big bang theory'. also since there is a new show, 'young sheldon', that is a prequel of it. I said I was reserving my opinions of the new show until I actually see it. but I said they truly struck gold with 'theory'. the brilliant writing, casting, and chemistry is one that rarely sees. and how it has connections to an earlier hit show, 'roseanne', which is no accident. chuck lorre produced both shows. three actors have been on both shows.

always on my mind, willie nelson

I did some karaoke in the evening, after going to an iowa hawkeye football game watch. I did two songs, first was 'when the levee breaks' by led zeppelin, and the second was 'always on my mind' by willie nelson. I was amazed with what I found out about this song on Wikipedia. willie nelson didn't record it first, but his version is likely the best known as it was a grammy winner in 1982. the first was by Brenda lee in 1972. some of the later versions fared better, reaching the top 20. this included elvis Presley that same year, pet shop boys in 1987, and Loretta lynn in 2016. I was familiar with the pet shop boys version as well. I said I did it as it reminded me of some of my failed relationships. I am still surprised as to what I hear from others when I am done performing. one lady said she recorded me on her camera phone singing it and sent it to her boyfriend. I think this was part of the group that was in town for a wedding. I found out I knew the 'blushing bride', she recognized me from one of the open-mics I frequent. she is usually cheerful, and acts thrilled to see me. I think I finally learned her name, sophie, since she was there to do karaoke as well. for the led zeppelin selection I chose that one as I like the mention of Chicago in it. I was familiar with how it was a re-working of an old blues song from the 1920s, about the 1927 flood in the south. this explains the line 'get to Chicago'.
    I mostly enjoyed the game watch, it was at the loop bar in Minneapolis. plenty of hawkeye fans there, for a game against penn state. I arrived near the end of the first quarter, I had some things I wanted to get done before I departed for the bar such as go to the grocery store. iowa led 7-5 at the half, but lost 21-19. penn state is a good tam though, ranked in the top 10 nationally. the place exploded after iowa touchdowns. but it was crowded, hard to be seen for a while to get a beer. had to wait until there was an open spot at the bar. eventually I stayed near the entrance door, and sat on a shelf there since I didn't want to stand for the entire game. and this spot opened as the local alumni chapter had been packing up what was on the table.
   I liked how I didn't have much to do today, of course I went to check my post office box. the order of two state quarters was there. I slept in the afternoon. and I turned in some change at the bank, something I do every two months. it was exactly 12 dollars this time, and as usual I deposit the amount in savings. still pleased with how much of it is pennies, nearly 3 dollars, and the value is more than the nickels in the final total.

streaker at football game

went to another high school football game tonight, my second of the season. it was st. paul highland park vs st. paul central. I lucked out that it was mentioned while watching the 6pm news on WCCO, in reference to the start time being moved back from 4pm to 7pm due to the heat. this made it way easier for me to attend. likely most memorable was what happened near the end of the game. a streaker ran onto the field with 17 seconds left, and this young man seemed to succeed in eluding the cops/security guards, leaving  the field quickly and then scaling a fence. highland won 17-0, and led 2-0 at the half. so of course the only score in the first half was on a safety. it was tough to see how neither team moved the ball all that well, along with all of the penalties and turnovers. but I have to tell myself that it is high school football. there was a missed field goal as well. the first TD was early in the second half, highland ran back a fumble. there was plenty of injury timeouts for central, as I recall four. the 4th was the longest, by far. I saw how he went face-first into the grass, with just over 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, with highland up 17-0 by then. an ambulance was called, they brought out the board and a stretcher. so there was a good chance that it was a concussion or a neck injury.
   it is a reminder of why I like high school football, as it is cheap entertainment. the game ticket was $5, and the food I ordered was $6. I got plenty for that amount, a hot dog, Gatorade, fritos, and reese's peanut butter. when I left the stadium after the game ended, I was thinking to myself this is why I like writing. and I need to try harder to become a professional writer.
   I also found a karaoke venue after the game, and did one song as I got there near the end of the night. it was 'shake it off' by taylor swift. as  a baseball fan I had wanted to do that song, as it is sometimes played when a batter is hit by the pitch. the show runner was different this time, and was surprised that I remembered her. this is somebody who has orange hair, bright colored outfits, and is a balloon artist. so I figured that most people who meet her are going to remember her.
   I also had another patron ask me if went to high school in woodbury, but I did not. I was told I looked like their classmate.

corndogs, popcorn, and my jokes

this afternoon I did one thing I never expected would happen. at my employer's office party, I did 5 minutes of stand-up comedy. there was plenty of food there, I a little bit of everything. there was corndogs, popcorn, pretzels, cookies wrapped individually in plastic, and sliced apples. you could have caramel with the apples as well. but when I think of 'caramel apples' I think of apples that aren't cut up. I said I needed an MC to introduce me, so people knew what was happening. so the DJ did this. I know one colleague wanted to see me perform, it sounded like she was coming back after a conference call- or at least finding out when it was- but she didn't. so I had to go on without her in the crowd. I was told to avoid swearing, as well as any jokes about the company. wasn't that hard to do. if you asked my friends to do those things, I know full well that most couldn't. I did ones about both parents, and about seeing the movie 'the newton boys'. as well as one about doing a johnny cash song on karaoke night. the MC intro sounded like it was from the movie 'blues brothers'. the site leader wondered why I didn't do anything about internet dating, I said I was told to keep it clean. he had seen me do comedy before, at a contest. and I know that he likes comedy, as I spotted him at a lewis black show I attended in 2007, before I started doing stand-up. I liked the recognition I received, as many found me after I was done and said they enjoyed it. hopefully I get something for the performance, I asked for gift card points. some of these people had been invited t my shows but most didn't show up, having excuses such as 'I have a class' or 'can't find a babysitter'. so in some ways it was a good idea that I brought the show to them.
    I found my way to the karaoke bar in the evening, and did 3 songs. the first was 'staring at the sun' by the offspring. so I was pleased that it was available, as I had just discovered the song. it went fast, but I kept up fairly well. the other two were 'bonnie and clyde' by merle haggard, and 'mr. know it all' by Kelly Clarkson. the harmonica guy was there, did one that was a bob seger song but was written by chuck berry. he said he would be going to Arizona for the winter soon.

taking the later bus

second straight day I took the later bus to work, but I was still on time. I was up late doing a posting on facebook, baring my soul, something I rarely do.
   I had a guest set at the comedy club tonight. the headliner likes to do crowd work, somebody I had opened for previously. I did ones about undies, taco bell, phantom of the opera, jimmy john's, myrtle beach guy, and my dad naming favorite comics. yemen native and opera singer were performing as well.

job fair early departure

I went to a job fair in the early afternoon, pleased to get to talk to 3 companies there. but two others left early, an hour early. I let my HR rep know about it and he said he would set up a meeting where I would get contact information for them. I was there for just under an hour, and had some of the food and rink but there were no sandwiches. had to go find them elsewhere, and all I found were lunchables so I had some of them.
  I made it to the performance venue tonight, and a newer comic said he hadn't heard some of my internet dating stories. so I got out a photo album with some of those kinds of photos. one was from a horse drawn carriage, another was of a company outing at a museum. I did ones about an offspring song, myrtle beach guy, job fair, the aforementioned internet dating, and going to a resale shop for a costume.

amish family of 4

as I was taking the bus home from work tonight, I noticed near the front was an amish family of four, the kids were both boys. I didn't hear them speak a word at all, and I saw them with suitcases. when I was ready to leave I noticed the tag on it said 'greyhound', referring to another bus service.
   my cohort is not back yet, so I am still swamped with the payoff report. I did more than expected though, all but one page was found and logged out. I found a senior leader that is serving as a mentor early in the day and we spoke for a little while in preparation for a job fair this week.
   at the comedy club I saw the Wisconsin couple, and said I liked being sandwiched between them recently when I got stage time. the lady did refer to me being a 'live blogger' at one of her shows, I liked that memory as she's one of the best-known comics in the area. when I arrived at the performance venue, I did ones about what I did last week, an offspring song, repair shop, resale shop, and a man I met on karaoke night.

violin mash-ups

I had just acquired a free CD and listened to it in my car on the way to and from performing. it is mash-ups of songs, with plenty of violins in it. some is classical music, but also more modern songs like ones by taylor swift, u2, and pink. it actually sounds fairly good, I liked seeing somebody try this concept.
   I did more looking for a costume this afternoon, and it meant going to another resale shop. I found some good books as well, including another one from the 'don't know much' series. and one about a murder mystery in stand-up comedy.
   I performed tonight, kind of in costume. it was kind of funny when I saw the D.C. native show up and he said 'you normally dress better than that', after I had already performed. the things we will do for stage time! and I am also adding another performer to the 'ring of honor', somebody I had done a fringe show with last year as she is co-host of the show I did tonight.

limited edition rice krispies

I made my weekly visit to the grocery store this evening, and I noticed they still had plenty of boxes of limited edition rice krispies in the discount bin. I bought one box last week and bought another one this week. I did a quick count and there are still 45 boxes left. it had a patriotic theme, so these may be left over from the 4th of july. there was also a coupon on the front of the box for jet-puffed marshmallows, that is expiring at the end of the month. but I just eat the cereal, I do not make any baked goods with it.
   there was plenty to do, starting with noticing one of my tires really looked flat and I have been shoving air into it fairly often for a few weeks now. so I called midas and they informed me to get there by 1:30 as they had to order the two tires I needed. thankfully it didn't take long, just over an hour, and I watched some college football that was on ABC in the waiting room, it was UCLA at Memphis. this time of year on a Saturday afternoon, no surprise to find it on TV. I also made it to a costume shop as I wanted to get ready for a show I am in this weekend. and I went to a resale shop for the same reason, but found some books as well. one was a Charlie brown book- snoopy and the red baron. there was also ones by entertainer bill cosby, and civil war poetry. for the poetry book, it was one of five copies on the shelf.
    I also went to the Oktoberfest event at the former Schmidt brewery in st. paul. I was there for just over an hour, in the evening. it was long enough to look around, as well as get some food and drink. I got bottled water, bratwurst with sauerkraut and Bavarian mustard, and potato pancakes with applesauce. I was disgusted with finding out I needed to buy tickets for the drinks, when I didn't need to for the food, even said so.
    I also did some karaoke later in the evening. I did two songs, 'rich girl' by hall and oates, and 'city of new orleans' by Arlo Guthrie. the former was a song I did shortly after arriving, before I even got a beer. but the show runner asked if anyone hadn't sang yet, so I spoke up.

staring at the sun, offspring

went to a burlesque show tonight, and as usual I was impressed with the performance of moonshine matinee. her musical number appears to be 'staring at the sun' by the offspring. the song was catchy so I will have to look it up further soon, like on youtube. I had some pizza with the producer after the show.
  I was still busy at the office, more new titles to do but they are caught up again. but there still are the new contracts, but even my work spouse said I am doing well while having to cover for my inured cohort.

    

golfball snowglobe

the cubicle occupied by my boss has already been cleaned out, and I decided to claim a few things when our 'de facto' facility manager came around to clean it out. I claimed a golfball snowglobe, and some photos of office colleagues. I was in one of them, a group photo. also at the office, the backlog on titles has been eliminated. no meetings scheduled made it easier. I also went to the karaoke bar tonight and performed two songs, 'twist and shout' by mary chapin carpenter, and 'dizz knee land' by dada. I had a conversation with a man there that spoke of being from myrtle beach, SC. he spoke well of his hometown and said I should visit sometime, but I said I have had to cut back on traveling as it was getting expensive.

two callback jokes

I did two callback jokes tonight at two different venues. the first was about football being violent, and the other about a flag on display at the Minnesota history center. I like how the latter one has evolved into a similar subject. and as a history major I am the type that will correct others and answer their jokes when they don't have the facts straight. at the office, still trying to get caught up on my normal duties. I am getting closer, since it is a smaller backlog now with the new titles. also went to a job fair prep session in the afternoon. it was also nice to have a chat with a comic that I had clashed with in the past, I respond well to somebody who wants to be diplomatic.

bouncing back, no worries

I pride myself in how it doesn't take as long as it once did for me to bounce back. and what I did tonight was just what the doctor ordered- performing. but not what I typically do. it was orientation for being a volunteer actor at a haunted house this season. some of the warmups reminded me of dance choreography for a broadway show. I went to an open-mic after it, and spoke about the failure and then bouncing back. also did a callback about the violence in the NFL, saying there is some history that is relevant. also referred to the patriotic shirt I was wearing since I got comments from two comics about it, I often do when I wear it.
   at the office it was the last day for my boss, he is taking a job outside of the company. we had a potluck and I brought a vegetable tray. he left behind a sign at his cube in reference to the movie 'the Truman show'. and the 'no worries' was in reference to calling for help on getting registered for a job fair for next week, as this is what the rep on the other line kept saying to me as I was still frustrated at that time, things were just piling up a little too much.

frustrated and disgusted

I ended up being frustrated and disgusted tonight. I had hoped to see myself on film but it was not to be. I drove around for an hour and couldn't find the studio, so I went home. I hadn't been this hard on myself for a while, I was pounding the steering wheel of my car. whenever I go there again, somebody will have to drive me there as I hate the feeling of being lost. I even left my radio silent on the drive home as I didn't want any music later reminding me of this night of failure. also a good thing that I wasn't listening to a particular song, 'too far down' by husker du.
   it was a busy day at work, still largely on my own with the payoff report, did not get to any new titles.

taylor swift, def leppard

I was back to filming segments for comedy friends. it meant reviewing things, I chose 'up in the air' (movie, book, soundtrack) as well as a DVD of a CMT crossroads episode. it was taylor swift and def leppard. I didn't have any of their CDs or had seen them in concert, so it is nice to have. I found it at a Walgreen, although the Wikipedia article said it was only for sale at Walmart. but much like at family dollar, there are older, discounted CDs and DVDs there. and I think some of them are previously viewed copies. this first aired in late 2008, according to Wikipedia, and was released in DVD format in the summer of 2009. great concept, I had seen this before. billy joel and Elton john in concert in suburban Chicago in 2001, taking turns singing of few of the other musician's songs. or also MTV, seeing U2 and REM perform together. I am more familiar with def leppard, recognized 3 of their songs on this disc, 'photograph', 'pour some sugar on me', and 'two steps behind'. this is fairly early taylor swift, I am more familiar some of her later songs. I liked the interviews in it as well, although they were not typical interviews. it was more of a conversation between musicians, instead of a journalist asking questions. it was filmed at the acuff theater in Nashville, TN, I had heard of roy acuff, he was honored with a postage stamp.
   I didn't do much else after I got back, I fell asleep for a while and eventually watched 'the simpsons', had seen it already, homer at a chili dog place. still needed to do dishes, recycle, and trash, also went to mcdonald's for an ice cream cone. early in the day I did laundry.

 

elephant pool, disneyland

 went to jesse james festival in northfield this afternoon, and I liked finding some postcards in a vintage shop. one of them was of the elephant pool at Disneyland. another was of a covered wagon at Lincoln's new salem village, as well as the grave of president james polk, in Nashville. also got ones of Chicago's coliseum, and of new York's LaGuardia airport. and I got a paperback book, 'you are too much, Charlie brown'.
  when I got back I got a haircut at sport clips to get ready for a date, but then checked e-harmony and found out that my date canceled, claiming to be interested in someone else. how annoying, stating that honesty never really was there. canceled dates have happened before, but that doesn't make it any easier this time. it meant I looked forward to performing tonight even more, as I call it 'dumping pain'. I did karaoke, one song, 'here's a quarter, call someone who cares' by travis tritt. seemed like a good selection based on the mood I was in. I saw chalm-skinn there after I had performed, he was there supporting a friend.
   plenty of e-bay and amazon orders arrived at my p.o. box this week, I checked it this morning. one of them was an amazon order, a CD, 'live through this' by hole, Courtney love's band. I played it on the drive to and from northfield. there is another CD order that hopefully will arrive soon.

roseville vs. woodbury football

i went to my first high school football game of the season tonight, it was in roseville.  I probably had been there for a game before, buy not sure when. Roseville led 7-0 at the half against woodbury, and led 19-7 at one point in the 4th quarter. woodbury went ahead 22-19 with just under a minute left, but Roseville found  away to win, 25-22. another spectator noticed my notebook and asked about it, I said I like taking notes about the game as it is easier to remember what happened. I tend to pay attention more! I mostly notate the penalties, turnovers, and touchdowns.
   but the night didn't end there. I checked facebook after I got home, and there was an invite for a karaoke venue in st. paul that I hadn't heard of. I did one song, 'impossible' by shontelle. I may want to go there more often, as I like my stage time. I looked through the 'game room' section as well, but did not play anything there. the place reminded me of a machine museum in san Francisco that is at fisherman's wharf. the karaoke show runner knew me as 'the button's friend'.

cannonball run cars

this morning I got off the bus a little early as I liked seeing some cool cars before reaching my workplace. most of them were painted 'cannonball run' in some form. it reminded me of seeing the movies of the same name, with an all-star cast including burt Reynolds.
  I also got some stage time at a micro-brewery tonight, for a contest. I did not advance but I liked the stage time. I was given 3 minutes and did some time-honored ones about a college roommate, phantom of the opera, and some of my office colleagues.

dinner gongs

a fellow performer said I would be good at playing the triangle if I was part of a music group. it reminded me of how my family bought a dinner gong from the Herbert hoover museum in west branch, iowa. since the president's father was a blacksmith. it was in response to me saying I could play the bongos or tambourine. he has spoken of being from gary, Indiana.
   my cohort is out of the office again today, some mention of a fall, and hand injury, over the weekend. so I was busy again getting the payoff report done, but it is caught up now.
   

labor day 1987

I know labor day was already this week, but for some reason I am reminded of what I was doing on labor day in 1987. my uncle had a new house to show off, so my family went to see it. I went there fairly often for thanksgiving after that as well, but not since 2010. not sure if it will ever become as big as a john hughes story that was in 'national lampoon' magazine, which inspired the movie 'Christmas vacation'.
    I made it to the performance venue tonight as well, and my first joke was a callback about the confederate flag that is sometimes on display at the Minnesota history center. I felt the need to answer that one after hearing another comic's take on it.

hey jealousy, gin blossoms

I did karaoke tonight, three songs. the second was 'hey jealousy' by the gin blossoms. it is a reminder of being in college, as I saw the band in concert at luther college in decorah, iowa. first song was 'live forever' by oasis, and the third was 'alive' by sia. but I didn't think all of the lyrics were correct on the third, although it was the newest of the three I did, had to ask if it was available.
    I also made it to the renaissance festival. saw the third and final robin hood show of the day, I have two friends in it. I like how they've added a few things to it. this time I got a little wet as they also was tossing a bucket of water on the crowd. one of them was later walking on stilts, the mensa guy. I was about to leave when the rain arrived, I decided to seek shelter under a tree then in a jewelry shop. then when it was over I went back to my car and went home. I like how going on labor day means minimal problems with traffic there.

rolling ten dice

I went to grumpy's in Roseville this evening as there was a meetup event there, board games. I played two, one was cards with characters on them, mostly from 'alice in wonderland' but also it appeared to be humpty dumpty and a dodo bird. when I played the bird card I said 'cock a doodle do'. there was also rolling ten dice, which reminded me of playing bingo as I hardly ever win and I am usually close to winning when somebody announces it. but I still liked being there, as I like learning new games and I like the event coordinator.
  after it I went to an open-mic, the last one, and it was a long lineup. thankful to be a part of it though, despite having just three minutes.

midway pro bowl

I went to midway pro bowl in st. paul this afternoon and bowled two games. the recent news of its upcoming closure, due to the construction of the soccer stadium, was what brought me there. I bowled better in the second than the first, didn't crack the century mark in the first. started off the game with a gutter ball. no problem getting two games in, less than half of the 32 lanes were being used. then after it I went to the library to print some things.
   also went to a comedy show tonight, good show but I got annoyed with a comic after the show. this is why I told myself that I needed to learn a lesson from dealing with annoying patrons, but I forgot this can happen with some comics as well. meaning, try to leave early after shows as sometimes it is painfully evident when I have stayed too long, based on some of the conversations I end up listening to and or am in. and I am not the type that writes it off as 'they were drunk', as that is an invalid excuse to me. if people know they act way worse when drunk, then don't do that. it was why I drove home with the car radio off, didn't want to have any songs playing to remind me of it later on.

patti cakes movie

saw the movie 'patti cakes' at the AMC in Roseville tonight. naturally it reminds me of '8-mile', sine it is about rapping, but this one is a new jersey lady. liked seeing karaoke depicted of course. I had heard about the movie at MSP film-fest, but did not see it there. I like these 'slice of life' films, the indie films seem to fit this description more often. I also thought of 'winter's bone' for some reason, since it all looked so realistic in the way it was filmed although I am aware that both were fictional characters. being a performer, I found some things to be relatable in it. and I thought of my departed grandparents, since one of them is a character in this movie. I would like to think they would have liked seeing me performing, but we will never know. the springsteen song was a nice touch, no surprise for a movie about living in new jersey. also liked picking up a brochure when leaving about indie movies, but it didn't mention this one. it did speak of 'big sick' though, and I have seen it as well. also liked getting photos of the area when I was walking back to my car. liked seeing all of the activity nearby, the cars that kept going past. off in the distance one can see the big red target sign lit up, for the first target store. and this is near the snelling exit for route 36 if I am not mistaken. so I had to have a photo of the road, even though it doesn't show up as well at night.
   at the office, my boss said 'hold down the fort' as he and my work spouse will be in florida next week, training people. we also had pizza at lunchtime, but no speeches and announcements like before. I also saw the attorney on the bus in the evening, and spoke of being at the state fair. she said she had 52 pages left to read in her book about feminism in Minnesota, and the library book is due soon, this weekend.