dance til you drop

tonight i went to see a play at the history theater, 'dance til you drop', about a dance marathon champion from Minnesota in the 1930s. the music in it was good, i recognized songs such as 'putting on the ritz' and 'maple leaf rag'. i was largely unfamiliar with the dance marathon craze during the great depression, hadn't been in the history books i have read. but i like continuing to learn wherever possible. i got a good look around as this is the same building where the McNally smith music school was, that closed late last year. this might explain some of the neglect i saw, such as cigarette butts in the water fountains. and not much left in the vending machines- food or drink. there was some displays about the 40th anniversary event that is a week from now. i went online to check what the tickets are, and they are out of my price range.
  after the play i went to cooper's grocery store to pick up a few items that i couldn't find at aldi. there was a man begging for bus fare in the parking lot. i said no, and went inside. then i realized i had left my wallet in the car, i had just been to the ATM. i caught myself swearing when i made eye contact with a security guard, and spoke of the panhandler. he said the 'say no and leave' strategy was the best plan. before the play i had another happy meal at McDonald's, in hopes of getting the baseball player snoopy toy. but it was not to be, i got the astronaut. i said i was fine with trying again, but a second time is enough. i ordered the one i wanted from e-bay after the play, so at this point i plan on having just four of the snoopy toys out of ten. even though i like how the happy meal is cheap.
   i did some of the typical errand running  this morning, getting a breakfast sandwich from a holiday gas station and then going to check my post office box. there were seven items to pick up, so it looks like i am caught up again on the e-bay and amazon orders. except of course for the two items i have ordered since Friday. i liked how there was an extra postcard, sometimes there is a throw-in. it was of forbes field in Pittsburgh, part of the order of Milwaukee county stadium's postcard. i ordered that one as i had just seen the movie 'major league' on DVD, and it was filmed there. i had seen some brewers baseball games there over the years as well.
   i was fine with the change of plans for the afternoon. originally it was to attend the gopher baseball game at the Vikings stadium, but i accepted an offer to perform at a micro-brewery. the photographer was the show runner. i had performed there a few times before. not attending the baseball game freed up some time for other things, such as getting to the library and applying for more jobs with US Bank. and i already planned on going to an aldi grocery store as well, this was after the library. then on my way to the play i stopped at a holiday gas station to use the ATM and got a redbox movie rental. i wanted to use up the free night code for my birthday as it is expiring soon. hopefully i can find the time to watch it before late sunday evening. although tonight is not likely as i want to go sing at the karaoke venue. I did one song at the karaoke venue, 'nothing else matters' by metallica. it was nice to see somebody i knew there, the lady with the muppet that i see at one of the open-mics i perform at. although she didn't have the muppet with her tonight.

mad world, gary jules

tonight i sang 'mad world' by gary jules at the karaoke bar. this song was in the back of my mind for a while, i think it was due to somebody quoting the lyrics. the 'kinda funny, kinda sad' part. i watched the video on YouTube to get primed for singing it. so many of the song lyrics ring true for me. such as 'went to school and i was very nervous, no one knew me'. i knew what it was like to be a new student, when my family moved, i was in the middle of third grade. and being at a bar, i think of 'i want to drown my sorrows'.
  it was already snowing by the time i started my drive there, i was on facebook and accepted some stage time at a show that will be happening soon. but i made it home without incident. closest i got to it being problematic was skidding a little on an on-ramp, and i know full well to keep going, but stay off the gas pedal as much as possible until you make it through. file it under 'experience pays'. then i stopped at a super-America as i needed to go to the bathroom, and knew i wouldn't make it in time to use the bathroom at home. i had a craving for some cheese, and bought some while there, a kraft big cheese snack. it reminded me to check my postcard collection, and no i didn't have the kraft (or 'sealtest') postcard of the 1939 world's fair in new York, so i ordered it on e-bay. I've had a similar cheese snack before from borden, but i haven't ordered that world's fair postcard yet. it seems to be more rare than sealtest.
  at work i scored 119 tests, same as Thursday, but i had to press a little more near the end of the day to get there. my boss brought me a few tests to review, and the director had an announcement to make near the end of the day about inspectors that would be arriving next week.
  in the evening i went to a bar in st. paul for another fish meal, the last of this season of lent. i ate fish at a different place for all 7 Fridays. it was crowded at this bar, a bingo game was happening. i ordered a Schmidt beer with the meal, cod fish and fries and cole slaw. seemed appropriate since the bar was near the former Schmidt brewery. after that i bought a few items at cooper's grocery store, also on west 7th. i found a can of fruit there, shur fine brand, might be the last of it based on my scanning of the aisles. as you know, readers, i loved those can labels, the 'look at me!' message on them, an arrow pointing  to it with something funny. this one said 'peared down!'

go get your beer

i did some karaoke tonight, two songs. it was 'here' by alessia cara, and 'low' by cracker. i ended up helping somebody out who was at the table with all of the binders. he claims he couldn't find 'let's stay together'- the al green version, hates the tina turner version. i found it, and when i let him know he wanted help in finding it. i said i don't have my beer yet, he said go get your beer. when i showed where it was, he asked what he needed to do next. i said 'enter the song title, artist, and your name on the slip'. rookies!
    i scored 119 tests at work today, going a few more higher than the previous day. there were some I.T. issues, where it would get stuck after submitting a score. i found a way around it though, score the next one so it finally advances. but it also means going back and seeing if that is the score you want to leave on it. logging out does not allow this though, it was trial and error, and it happened three times so liked finding out what works when this problem happens.

hesitated at vending machine

i went to perform tonight, and this is a venue that has a vending machine in the back. well actually, the second venue i performed at. it went well at both. i bought some cooked salami sticks from this vending machine, cheapest item available, at a dollar. but i hesitated, because there was a woman nearby on a call and she was arguing a lot. but after a  little waiting, and getting some popcorn in another room, i got the salami. i figured the best thing to do was to try to ignore her, try not to look at her at all. and it worked. she didn't say anything to me. at the first venue, i enjoyed seeing brawler holding court after the show. i felt like i learned something just by observing as much as i did.
   at work i scored 115 tests, still finding a way to score a few more tests each day. there was mention just before lunch of a clash between colleagues, something about an anonymous note left at their computer in the morning.

man holding basketball

i performed at two venues tonight. at the first a man was holding a basketball, and it was blue and white with a 'k' on it, for the u. of Kentucky. during my time onstage he was there but i tried to ignore him. we talked some after i was done performing, and he talked about deep throat from Watergate. the logistics worked fine on flipping the schedule, since i was able to get to both. in recent weeks i found it was too hard to do if i was put on last at one of them, as the shows start around the same time, about a 30-minute difference. so the cul-de-sac show is first and 'extra murder' comic is the second show.
   at work i scored 113 tests, actually one of them i rated as 'un-scorable' since it was all copied text. i found a quarter in the parking lot during one of my walks. i still tend to score more tests during the second half of the day than the first. and i am trying to break my record each day, to see if i can find the time to score a few more. but i also know full well to be fair on reading through each one.

missing popcorn

i went to perform tonight and i was a little bummed that the popcorn was missing. i like having it with my beer before i go into the backroom where we perform. but i know i have seen changes at this and other venues I've been to. for one thing, no longer seeing music videos on some of the t.v. monitors in the bar area. i like seeing those videos. i covered a wide variety of topics, including stories from test scoring, recently acquired Charlie brown items, the movie i saw, and a shout out to musicians who performed 'summertime sadness' by lana del rey earlier in the show since i did that song at a karaoke bar. it led to me getting more material since somebody commented on the song during my set but not theirs.
   at work i scored 110 tests. i decided to go in a little later in the morning, no big deal since i can still get 40 hours a week. but i know i still have to shut off my laptop at a certain time in order to be out the door at a decent time. either that or not turn it on at all. at my former job it was shut off in the morning.

toys-r-us liquidation sale

i went to the toys-r-us liquidation sale this afternoon, in Maplewood, near the library and the mall. i bought two Charlie brown items there, a 100-piece puzzle, and a 'sound book' that played the 'linus and lucy' theme song. i was also interested in a basketball set, but once i saw the puzzle i said i needed to put the basketball set back as the puzzle is cheaper and more my kind of thing anyway. the discounts aren't that much yet, since it just started- 10 percent on one and 20 percent on the other. but i am used to what happens at liquidation sales, where it is like an auction, and after a while the discounts will go up. although it is hard to say if i want to make another visit when i don't go shopping for toys much. and the two items i bought were really the only ones of interest to me in the entire store.
    i went to the library after that to print some things, then to Walgreen to get some more sheet protectors as there were more items i wanted to get into the comedy binder. it was a busier day than expected, even though it didn't start off that way. i watched the movie 'major league' on DVD, a recent purchase from amazon. by the time i got back from errand running it was almost time for the evening meal, so i had some more of the pizza from earlier in the day. then i watched 'the simpsons' for the first time in a while, where the parents went to meet who now lives in their 'dink' apartment in capital city. there was still more to do, such as shred junk mail and take care of putting items in sheet protectors as well as do dishes and recycle. i watched the news and looked through items i had printed about comedy festivals, albeit most were from late February. and some of the submission deadlines had passed. there was 12, and 8 had passed. although i had balked at applying to some, due to the admission fee. i have received rejections from some, currently one is still in play.

i can only imagine movie

saw the movie 'i can only imagine' this afternoon in Eagan. i liked this movie, as i found it to be relatable, using performing to work through things. also helped that actors i had heard of such as dennis quaid and cloris leachman are in it. i hadn't heard of the song that became the movie's title, but listened to it on YouTube before i went to see the movie. i thought about other movies while watching it, including 'running with scissors' as the main character found a way to speak up. there were some scenes that made you laugh, so i had a wide range of emotions while watching it. part of me expected it to be a life-changing movie, not sure why. i had already experienced this feeling when i saw 'good will hunting' 20 years ago. i was thinking about what i would write about it in a facebook posting while still watching the previews! was it hard to watch at times? of course. one older woman commented about it while leaving the theater, saying she couldn't believe somebody could get abused that much. i said that it happens all the time, i should know. notable about seeing this movie was how it paid off to see it where i did. i have a loyalty program there, and when using the card i was informed there was a free small popcorn waiting for me as it is my birthday month. so i got the popcorn. one never knows what kind of free stuff there is available.
   i also got a happy meal at McDonald's, as i had been there recently for a shamrock shake and noticed they had snoopy toys in the happy meals. being a big fan of Charlie brown and snoopy, we knew how that one was going to end. i have two, as i noticed an abandoned one when i was out and about. i claimed a 'masked marvel' from the motocross special, and got the author in my own happy meal. i had hoped to get the baseball player but they gave me the dancer instead, at first. some mention of wasn't sure if they still had the one i wanted. looks like this promotion runs another 2 weeks, according to what i found online, so i could try again sometime soon. but no more than once a day. of course there is also the option of ordering online, but that appears to cost more than a happy meal does.
   in the evening i arrived much earlier than typical to do karaoke, i did one song, it was 'two princes' by the spin doctors. i had heard it on my rental car radio while i was in Chicago-land last weekend. i moved it up as i wanted to see a friend's concert in Minneapolis, it was opera singer's band. i got a photo after the show onstage with him and another band member. i am thankful they let me know the order of the lineup when i inquired about it on facebook. i said it helps me out a lot as i wanted to do both- perform karaoke, and support a comedy friend. i hadn't seen his band perform in a little while.

garfield sweater

i was in the breakroom at work and a lady was wearing a Garfield the cat sweater. it said 'here's a quarter, call someone who cares' and i said i saw travis tritt in concert at the iowa state fair, and this is the title of one of his songs. she laughed. i scored 82 tests, i knew it would be a lower number since the hours are capped at 40 per week. i worked 90 fewer minutes than Thursday. there was mention of more test scoring to be offered, a different project apparently after this one ends in late april. most signed it as being available, a simple 'yes', i said 'most likely'.
   i went to another fish fry tonight, at st. john's church in little Canada. it was a long wait but we got to eat. some mention of only baked fish as they were out of fried fish, i said as long as there was fish. i wasn't going to pay $10 for a cheese sandwich. they ran out of ice cream but i wanted to go get a shamrock shake at McDonald's anyway, and went there shortly after i was done eating fish. i am unsure at this point about where i go for the final one of this lent season, but i have the online article i printed so i know about the available options. a restaurant where i can get airline miles would be nice. i went home and got some of my recently acquired postcards into binders, not just ones from last weekend in Chicago-land but also some e-bay orders. i fell asleep while watching the college basketball tournament, but this time i woke up in time to get to the karaoke bar. i did 2 songs, 'blue moon of Kentucky' by bill Monroe, and 'easy lover' by phil Collins and phil bailey.

color wheel and krull

i called my dad tonight, of course we spoke some about my aunt as he has made some visits since she was moved to hospice. and he spoke of a weird dream involving a color wheel, and 'krull', a movie i have never seen. it was tough to hear some of the things he told me, much like what my cousin has been sharing on facebook. but i kind of expected it to be.
  once the call was done, i made it over to the karaoke venue. i did 2 songs, 'team' by lorde, and 'summertime sadness' by lana del rey. somebody liked the second song so much that they filmed he on their phone. the man was wearing a Charlie brown hat, and a football jersey with the number '69' on it. after i left the stage he told me how much he enjoyed it. i also had a decent conversation about sports with the man that is dating the button's friend.
   i made it past the century mark again with test scoring, 109 for the day. i returned a call during an afternoon break, it was from an agency i had spoken with before. it was something like the 4th different rep i has spoken with at this agency.
   in the evening i bought some snack food items at a Walgreen and the clerk from last week recognized me, called me 'stand-up comic'.

the century mark

i finally cracked the century mark on tests scored today, with 108. although with validation papers and the re-calibration the official number is 101. i know well enough to push myself a little more in the afternoon to read and score a little more quickly.
   i not only enjoyed performing at an open-mic tonight, but also others because of their song selections. one of them did 'soul to squeeze' by the red hot chili peppers. and another, her name is diamond, did 'landslide'. of course the smashing pumpkins have done a version of that song. i spoke of both during my set.

logistics evaluation

i had hoped to perform at two different venues tonight but it was not to be. i was on late at the first venue, and the second was done before i arrived. so i will have to evaluate the logistics and see what needs to be changed. i was getting annoyed with the bartender at the second venue as he still wanted to joke around with me but i was in no mood for that.
   at work i scored 90 tests, had to push myself in the afternoon to score this many as i wanted to surpass what i did on Thursday, which was 85. i would still like to crack the century mark.

how did you know?

i left the workplace an hour early, at 4pm, as i wanted to check my post office box. i had left the yellow card in it on my last visit. there was two items, the yellow card yielded a comedy CD, sent by conga line. there was also a letter about a magazine subscription. i called and checked with them, the check i sent has been received so it is renewed now. i had to ask them 'how did you know?'- and was told they knew which account based on my phone number. i know i did this a few times when i did call center work, seeing if the phone number on the caller ID would yield anything.
   i was tired from being out of town, so i had to push myself to get plenty of tests scored. there was an I.T. issue in the morning, and the team leader said i was still being marked as absent but this was changed. it still meant losing a half hour in the morning when i was ready to score tests.
   i also liked reading an interview with musician graham nash in the Minneapolis paper. i let mason city know about it as he knows music well and figured he would like seeing it. sounds like he has a show in the area soon. nash stands out for me as he has a song on the soundtrack to the movie 'up in the air', it is 'be yourself'.
   i performed at the comedy club tonight, first time at this venue in a while. i felt like i might have been pressing a little too much though, as i was given 3 minutes and had 4 jokes i wanted to do. i got to everything on my list but i was rushing through it at the end. a few crowd members found me and said they liked my set though, which felt good.

string cheese, farmer's market

it was my final day of the annual visit. i started the day at my hotel room in elk grove village and my flight home was in the late afternoon. i shopped at two places in des plaines, the town i once lived in. one was a farmer's market that had a little tractor near the road, i am aware this is good advertising. i bought some string cheese there, but this looked more like a full service grocery store than just a 'farmer's market'. and i bought some baseball cards at the adjacent dollar tree. i mailed myself a postcard at the post office, across the road. my theme song for this visit is 'bad at love' by halsey, i have been hearing it often lately, including this weekend. relatable, as i am 'bad at love' as well.
   i liked how the day was more than just have breakfast, pack up, check out of the hotel, and get on the road. i found the Chicago dogs baseball stadium in Rosemont. i also saw a few innings of a college softball game at a nearby softball diamond, free admission, after hearing the PA announcer.

hamm's beer shirt

i bought a hamm's beer shirt at a liquidation sale at carson's in Schaumburg. before then i toured the museum in elk grove village, the main story told was the town's transition from farming community to suburb. also in Schaumburg, i spoke about performing when i found an 'improv' comedy venue and gave my business card to the desk clerk. in the evening i went to the Chicago wolves hockey game in Rosemont, wolves lost to Rockford 3-2. after the game i went to the same karaoke venue as the night before, and sang '1979' by the smashing pumpkins.

furlough

plans are to visit Chicago this weekend, and see some 'old haunts' like a wolves hockey game in Rosemont. i am reminded of the song 'calling me home, chicago', which i saw on WGN when i was young. i spoke of this annual visit being a 'quick 48 hours' and somebody called it 'a furlough' so that is another term to explore. i found a karaoke bar to perform at, and sang 'million reasons' by lady gaga. my seatmate on the flight said she was flying back to china with her in-laws, and lived in suburban Chicago for a while.

live checks?

for the first payroll check my neighbor said we might get 'live checks', something i haven't had in a while. i like doing direct deposit, even gave them a voided check so it would be possible. i am out of the office Friday, so i said if we get live checks i prefer it be held for me until Monday and not mailed to me. i scored 85 tests today, wanted to score more than the previous day and did, just barely. had to press a little more after lunch, as my pace was a little behind the previous day.
   i picked up a memory card for my camera at Walgreen tonight, the clerk seemed interested when he heard i am a comic, more so than when i said i am a Charlie brown and snoopy fan. i went to perform at the karaoke bar tonight, 'sweet home chicago' from the movie 'blues brothers', and 'boulevard of broken dreams' by green day. the latter i had just heard on the radio tonight. i also saw a friend of the button there, she did 'nothing compares to you'.

double barrel cooked salami

went to perform tonight, but found out the show was called off, getting ready for st. Patrick's day this weekend. so i decided to go to another venue, where i told a knock-knock joke. also was on camera as some clowns, yes they were in makeup, wanted to film people. a fellow comic had his laptop there and i read one of his comedy bits, it was about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
   at work i scored 82 tests, i was told to speed it up so i did. i was spending time counting errors before, it was really slowing me down. the thing i always say is i need clear marching orders, then i will march to them.
   i had something out of the vending machine before i left for the second venue, it was double barrel cooked salami. i got it for a dollar, using up four quarters that i had laying around my home.

back at the wild game

this was my second Minnesota wild hockey game of the season, and this time i saw my college roommate, so of course i was thrilled. but the wild lost, 5-1, to the Colorado avalanche. the wild trailed 2-1 at the end of the second, and had more shots on goal but they just weren't going in.
  at work i scored 29 tests, my highest total so far for the day.

parking lot walk

at lunchtime i decided to go outside and walk around the parking lot at work. i did two laps and went back inside. there were some I.T. issues that caused us to go to lunch early, and longer. but i still scored more tests today than Friday. first order of business was the official note for my boss, saying i am out of the office on Friday. i asked for HR in reference to benefit questions, was informed there was no time off benefits such as for bereavement. i was wondering since of course my aunt is now in hospice. figured i might as well ask about jury service while there, they told me this would be a different thing. i also had to say i last did jury service more than 11 years ago.
   after work i looked up some baseball stats, it was in the back of my mind about discussing great players in montreal so i wanted to compare stats. andre dawson ranks high, though he never played in a world series. Jackie robinson played in six different series. robinson of course didn't play for the expos, but for the royals, the minor-league team that was there before the major-league team. i performed in the evening. it was nice to see the father of tetris at one venue, had seen him at a show in dinkytown a little while back.

checking lottery tickets

i went to the library to type out thank you letters for the birthday cards. next to me was a man who was checking lottery tickets. i hardly ever buy lottery tickets. as usual, i was there until closing time. i think a lot about what i want to write, and there was four letters to write. five if you count the note that my boss wants about an upcoming off-day. i know my handwriting can be sloppy, so i prefer typing when it is official business.
   it was a fairly mundane day for me. i had to allow for it being daylight time weekend, about setting my alarm clock forward an hour after i woke up. then after having a snack i knew i needed to get on the road to the grocery store. i know i bought a few less items this week, but i also wanted to try harder to use up what i have. it meant finally opening a can of pineapple chunks and eating them as i knew they would be expiring soon. the pineapple juice served as my drink for the evening meal, more tasty than tap water of course. i also went to dairy queen to use a 2 for 1 blizzard coupon that would be expiring in a few days. i did that on the way to the library. after i got back from the library i knew i had more to do. so it meant going to do laundry. i know i did it less often when i was 'on vacation'. i brought a CD with me to listen to, it was 'no need to argue' by the cranberries. with my aunt being in hospice i thought of how i listened to that CD often, especially the first song on it, 'ode to my family', when dealing with the death of my grandma in 2008. there was 13 songs on it, and i listened to all but one before my laundry was done. then there was doing the dishes, recycle, and trash. by then it was almost time for the 10pm news, but i fell asleep before the news ended, and a rerun of 'blue bloods' had just started by the time i woke up.

calendar movie

i watched the movie 'calendar' tonight on DVD. i picked it up from the post office this morning. i may want to watch it again, to see if i missed anything. i liked seeing the Armenian churches in it. one actually was a pagan temple, it looked like a bank. there were some scenes where one could see a big herd of sheep. most memorable would have to be the scenes back in Toronto, where he pours some wine for a lady and then she asks to use the phone. and the phone is next to a calendar, it led to the memory of filming the next church.
   i went to the high school hockey tournament this afternoon, the small school final. orono beat Alexandria 2-1. orono scored first, midway through the first period. then Alexandria tied it near the end of the first period. no scoring in the second, and orono went ahead with a goal midway through the third. while there I heard some fans talk about how Houston wants an NHL team. i had to check what was online about it, and some rumors are about luring the coyotes from Arizona. any team there should be called the aeros, as there is so much history wrapped up in the name. i have a Houston aeros shirt that i bought at one of the three games that i saw them play at the xcel center.
    i meant to get groceries tonight but it was not to be. i fell asleep and the store closed before i could make it. so it must be pushed back a day. i made it to the karaoke venue though, and i sang 'fast car' by tracy chapman. i heard somebody try to sing it at another venue this week and it was horrible, so i said i could do a better version of it.
    i was overcome by emotion this morning when thinking about my aunt, that is now in hospice. some of this i will admit was self-created, as i listened to multiple versions of 'i'll fly away' on YouTube. best thing to do in that case is to get up and go do something. i know i spend too much time thinking about things that make me sad or angry when i am not active. I saw some more updates on facebook from my cousin about it. i said thank you for keeping me in the loop. i know it will be hard to make it back for a visit, since i live out of state.

fact or crap

there was an I.T. issue in the afternoon apparently and we had to log out of our computers. so the scoring director had us do trivia, it was called 'fact or crap'. the first one was about a character in the 'Charlie brown and snoopy' comic strip, a female Charlie brown. i had heard of such a character, but i don't think it lasted long. this was a slower day, i was able to score just 12 tests. i am thankful i followed the advice given about bringing a book to read during the lulls, and i did get 2 chapters read in it. i bought a paper when i was at the gas station in the morning, which is typical for a Friday as i want the movie times for the weekend, but i left it in the car and did not read it at work.
  in the evening i went to a fish fry, but i called an audible and went to the VFW in north st. paul, as it was easier to find than a church that was on my list. and their serving time ended a little later as well. there was no cake or pie, i asked them about it. but a server made a joke and brought over some hard candy for me. i called another audible and went to a McDonald's for a shamrock shake, after seeing that the police were blocking an on-ramp, likely due to a traffic accident. there was something about kid's toys there, 10 different versions of snoopy. and one of them is a baseball player. so i might have to go back and see about getting one. as i have said before, we all know how this one is going to end.
   i meant to go out and perform some karaoke tonight, but it was not to be. my body decided for me, i fell asleep for a while. when i woke up the late show was on and i knew there wasn't enough time to make it. i was tired, i had a big meal and then the shake, so do the math. i listened to some of the high school hockey tournament on the radio, and i plan on attending the small school final Saturday afternoon. i also responded to all of the postings from facebook friends, it was time as it had been two days already. and like many others, i sent a posting saying thank you for the birthday wishes. also on facebook, i was added to a group chat by my cousin. sounds like my aunt in central iowa  isn't doing well, has been moved to hospice. since i just started a new job, i don't know what they have for benefits such as bereavement leave. i will have to ask when i get back to the office on Monday. it was weddings and funerals that got me into public speaking and performing, so i would be ready to sing there if my cousin is fine with that. i knew how the button has sang at funerals, and she let me know which songs she did. it was 'i'll fly away', and leonard Cohen's 'hallelujah'.

test scoring for real

this was my first full day of test scoring for real. i counted my post-its near the end of the day, and there was 23. i spent some of my morning reviewing materials to become familiar with it, preferred doing that before i started scoring tests for real. i decided to stay longer today compared to the other days, although i was able to score just one test after 4pm. no other tests were popping up, the system just kept spinning. i decided to eat the final package of dried mangoes from my former boss at lunchtime, as i knew they were expiring soon. i made some calls during my breaks as well, one was to postpone a meeting scheduled for next week. i said 'good news, bad news'. how i am back at work, but only until late april. another was about a hockey ticket that i ordered for next week's game.
   i tried watching TV in the evening during prime time but fell asleep before 'big bang theory' was done. eventually i knew i needed to get up and go out to perform. i did some karaoke, two songs. it was 'that don't impress me much' by Shania twain, and 'thank god i'm a country boy' by john Denver. i knew full well that going to two venues tonight would be a bad idea when i have to be up for work in the morning.

qualifying test

this was day 3 of the training for test scoring. i did the qualifying test and passed on the first try, which thrilled me. although my team leader did not tell me until i was already doing the second one. so i still finished up the second one and went to lunch. i wanted to score one test for real before leaving today, but before that i wanted to read through everything i still had to see it was being done correctly. i know full well some refreshing on the material will be needed. i went to the post office after work so i could drop off some mail, and see what was waiting there. an e-bay, and amazon order, was there. and in my box was something from the cardinals magazine, ticket vouchers. i will be sending the vouchers to a friend that lives in the area, somebody who can use it more than i can since i just make an annual visit.
   it was also my birthday, and there was plenty of birthday wishes on facebook, nearly 30. and some emails on Hotmail from various businesses that i have accounts with. not just internet dating sites, but also caribou coffee, already got my free coffee tonight, decided to get some coffee cake with it but of course had to pay for the cake. some emails were really odd, such as from the car dealer. also from southwest airlines, redbox, and a survey company. and i performed this evening as well. i went on near the end, preferring this as there was a drunk lady that was being disruptive. i also did the jeopardy game show online test, shortly after i got back from caribou in the evening.

already moved

i arrived at work this morning and i had already been moved. i was told it was to make room for some others. i knew i was sent to a computer where a nametag had been taken away, somebody that had never showed up the previous day. it was a rigorous day of reading through writing samples, i was told i did fine for a rookie but i know i mist get better. when i got home, and yes it was a full day this time, i went to the family dollar to pick up some things. this included bandages, a greeting card, and some razors. i knew i was running low for a while on bandages. it was evident when needing one last night and it was too big, but nothing else was available in a pinch.
   i was expecting to perform at two shows tonight, but the first one started late and i was the last one on. no surprise when i finally made it to the next venue, that the show was already over. will get them next time i guess. it helps to arrive as early as possible.

first day, half day

i had my first day back at work, and it became a half day due to the weather. i am a test scorer for 8th grade writing from florida, it is at a place in woodbury. an announcement was made around noon that we were being sent home as the ice and snow storm was expected to hit during rush hour. so it meant not much was covered the first day, and some of it was orientation for new hires such as myself. i submitted the completed paperwork that was sent to me by email, and i still need to submit a voided check to get direct deposit for my payroll checks. i ate my cup of pudding in the breakroom before i left, figuring i had enough time for that. then i went to the library to print things. when i got home i tried to watch a DVD movie but fell asleep and missed most of it. so i will have to try again sometime soon.
    i wanted to stay in tonight as i saw what the weather looked like from my window but i had to check on the event ticket i had bought and it said 'no refunds or exchanges'. i got an early start on my drive over to the venue, giving myself an hour to get there for a women's history show at Bryant lake bowl in Minneapolis. i made it in good time, taking secondary roads and avoiding the freeways. i like being able to stop during winter weather and it is easier to do so when going slower. i ate at the super-America across the street before going in. i was part of the last game show event of the night, out of three, and the theme honored Olympic athlete Jackie joyner-kersee. i am familiar with how one of the light rail stops in st. louis is at a building that is named for her. i won a bag of oreos. i tried to go to a bar and sing karaoke, but when i arrived i found out there was no karaoke tonight due to the weather so i went home.

safe at home movie

i watched two DVDs today, the first was 'safe at home, it was on a disc that had 3 baseball movies on it. i had seen a play with this same name last year at the saints stadium, but it the movie and play were nothing alike. the movie was about spring training in florida, and a kid wanting to meet mickey mantle and roger maris, both new York Yankees players. i also watched part of a disc about the medal of honor winners, watching just the part that was about world war two in the pacific. it is 6 segments over 2 discs, acquired from goodwill. one of those profiled was douglas macarthur, and there was mention of his dad, Arthur, also winning this medal.
   i went to an art event this evening at the former Pillsbury mill, and then performed at the former grain belt brewery complex. saw a music group perform at the first event, and bought one of their CDs. it appealed to me more than any of the art that was for sale.
 

cedar rapids movie

i watched a DVD i recently acquired from goodwill, 'cedar rapids'. it was a movie i had seen at the theater in march of 2011. it was about a convention, and i saw it in a year where I was headed to my first-ever writer's convention, but the writer's convention wasn't anything like this movie!
   i performed at two venues tonight, a comedy show and some karaoke. i was told i looked really angry while doing comedy, and i probably was, as one of the stories told was about how it took 30 minutes to get my taco order from zantigo tonight. the song i did at the karaoke bar was 'radar love' by golden earring it was in the movie 'cedar rapids'.

ranting at the bar

dear diary, you won't believe the stories i will tell you tonight. that does kind of have a nice ring to it. but it does seem like a good way to start off the entry. i went to two different bars tonight, one of them was a karaoke venue. i did two songs, 'Tennessee waltz' by patti page, and 'working for a living' by huey lewis. although the night will be memorable more for who i listened to for much of my time there. it was crowded tonight, i was told due to a hockey tournament. it seems to explain why the parking lot was full and why i ended up parking at an adjacent business. also because there was some flooding, likely due to the melting snow. a man near the back of the bar explained the big crowd, and i think this is what got him started on ranting. since one of the schools was hill-murray. i spoke of robber baron james j. hill. then he spoke about corrupt politicians and businessmen, and i was familiar with some of these subjects, being a history major. he covered so many subjects, such as war, vaccines, corporations, presidents, law, who he dated, fugitives, the Vatican, the federal reserve, college tuition, who he dated, union dues, health insurance, working construction, and more.
    oh, and it looks like i have an offer to go back to work, effective Monday. i am thrilled of course. there is more paperwork to complete, saw this by email. i got a check deposited at the credit union, printed some more items such as the aforementioned paperwork, and got some more DVDs from the resale shop. in the late afternoon i had an oil change done for my car. then in the evening i went to another fish fry, and then to a friend's comedy show, the big dog. he did give a shout-out from the stage. it was great seeing the button as well, after the show was over as she had arrived for the open-mic. i showed her pictures of the linus statue from the previous day. and she spoke of going through the experience of being laid off earlier in her life. a visitor from los angeles, who spoke of originally being from the area, was part of the big dog's show, i said he was good. first time i had seen him perform. it was my first visit to this venue in a while, i noticed some changes in the green room.

silver spoons

i have been watching plenty of reruns on antenna TV, and one of those shows is 'silver spoons'. i do recall watching it when i was young, when it was first-run. the episode on today was the conclusion of a two-part story, where rick's dad has an old flame that is still interested. according to Wikipedia, it ran for five seasons, and the final season was syndicated. except i don't recall the syndicated season. i know the show figures into my schooling, as i referenced it when we were learning about facts and opinions. dad referred to dexter, the 'fussy' business manager, as 'prim and proper'.
   i watched another DVD this morning, 'startup dot-com'. it was inspired by a facebook posting about a company called 'march first'. guess it was a 'dot-com' that became a 'dot-bomb'. i had made the observation how the dot-com bubble reminded me of reading the history books, in terms of some industries going through the same phase. such as the car industry, where the best deal was to be bought out, in many cases.
   after i watched the DVD i went to the library to print some more things, and get ready for another job-related appointment. actually it was an 'open house'. i saw it as a 'longshot' but went anyway. i decided to apply directly to a test scoring company, even after being rejected twice when applying through agencies. i liked how i actually was interviewed this time, instead of just doing the evaluations they had requested. i checked the voicemail on my phone in the evening, and it sounds like there is an offer! sure surprised me. when i was leaving the office i saw a linus statue, and i was able to get a picture if it. hadn't seen a 'new idea' in a while for those statues, after finding more than a hundred.
   i also performed at two different venues tonight. first was karaoke, i chose 'vacation' by the go-gos. it seemed like a good one to do since it looks like my 'vacation' might be ending. will have to follow up with a call in the morning to find out more. and the other one was an open-mic, where i spoke of how it was going on the job front.