jc penney 90 percent sale

i made a visit to the JC Penney in Roseville as i knew i needed to replace my sneakers after another pair of socks ended up with holes. but i got more than just shoes. also a pair of socks, two shirts, and some jeans. the shirts and jeans were found near the front of the store, deep discounts, 90 percent off the original price. one of those shirts was from the super bowl. i used gift cards to pay for it all, five in all and one of them had some value left when it was all said and done. i made visits to two different Walgreen stores. in the morning it was to pick up a photo order. and after visiting the JC Penney i went to another one, realizing i needed some tape as i was out. i of course use it to close the sheet protectors, wanting to preserve things in binders- comedy souvenirs or otherwise. i had a phone interview in the early afternoon, and now have two appointments scheduled on Tuesday. the time was moved on one, and the other is another phone interview. so hopefully something good happens from these interviews.
   i stayed in a little longer this evening, as i was reminded of how one open-mic wasn't happening as there was comedy festival auditions. so i posted more photos from facebook, and not just to my comedy 'ring of honor' where i added two more. some were from a concert i attended last month, where opera singer performed with his band. i still went to perform, and covered various subjects. it included finding pennies, and de-framing some photos.
   my cousin announced in the facebook messenger group that my aunt passed tonight. i saw the message after i got back from performing. my sister said my dad called her. haven't heard from my dad yet, but he knows i am often busy in the evenings. she passed less than two months after being moved to hospice. my cousin said more information will follow. i will likely want to attend the funeral, if there is one. although it might mean missing a day of work, for the drive out of state.

de-framing photos

I decided to do some more cleanup around my home. it meant looking at the framed photos i had, and there was way too many. this was due to many of the early 'ring of honor' photos being framed. i stopped doing that when i realized i was running out of space, and it can get expensive to get all of those frames. so now those photos are all in the 'ring of honor' photo album. i did well on getting it whittled down to the highlights in my life. there are now just six framed photos on top of my fridge. two are friends from high school, one from college, two are office colleagues, and one is from performing. it was the cast of the fringe show i was in, with the resistable comic. in some ways it was like what i learned in history class about the American flag. where at first they gave each state a star and stripe, but this didn't work well. so it was changed back to 13 stripes for the original colonies. even in my bedroom, i cut back, now down to one, it had been two. i say all the time i am 'stressing quality' and this is yet another way of doing so. actually i am waiting to change what is in that one. it was a giveaway item at a st. louis cardinals baseball game many years ago, and i decided the proper photo for that frame was one of me at the all-star game in st. louis in 2009. plans are to get one of me with my st louis friend in there, from when we attended a game together last summer. i was at Walgreen tonight getting more photos on a disc, and a few printed, as well. it took a while as i had two memory cards and a USB flash drive, and when it was 'copying files' going from one media to the next i had plenty of waiting. a employee said i could walk around the shop while i was waiting but i said i was paranoid that somebody would prank me so i told myself it was best to watch it while i was waiting.
    i did a few other things today, starting with going to a college baseball game at the saints stadium. there as a doubleheader scheduled, hamline playing Augsburg. found out later on what hamline won both games. i left after 9 innings in the first game, tied 8-8, Augsburg rallied and got 5 runs to tie it. the games were to last just 7 innings, the website said the first game lasted 11. i needed to go as i wanted to get to an open-mic, the one where the resistable comic is show runner. then in the evening i watched the historic 'simpsons' episode, as it passed 'gunsmoke' for most prime time episodes.
   the 10pm news was on by the time i got home from Walgreen, so i did the dishes and said i would go back and pick up the photo order in the morning as i knew i was tired.

photo discs

i looked in my closet tonight and finally realized how many photo discs i have. they date back to 2011, and i know why. i, like many others, like to share photos on facebook. although i noticed it is less frequent now that i go to Walgreen and do them. last one was new year's eve. it was prompted by finally deciding to post more than just the 'ring of honor' photos today from that most recent disc. i was a little stressed trying to find the most recent memory card as well, then told myself to get out a chair and check the top shelf and there it was. i most recently changed it in march, just before i went to Chicago-land for the weekend. i have a few for my video camera as well, but haven't looked at them lately. or filmed myself lately. hard to look at myself on film, i get impatient.
   the day started with going to get a breakfast sandwich at a holiday gas station, then on to the post office to check my box. there was two items there, both e-bay orders, postcards. then i decided to go home and watch a DVD, i chose one i had watched part of already, acquired from goodwill. it was actually a 2-disc set, about medal of honor recipients. except while trying to watch the world war one segment, the disc froze and i couldn't go any further. do i will likely be getting rid of it soon. it was midday by then, i got a few items from the nearby family dollar store. in the evening i went to the aldi grocery store, i didn't like how the cashier was a little too impatient with me. i was aware that she was the only one on duty, and closing time was less about 30 minutes away, but still i didn't enjoy it at all. i tried watching more from the medal of honor disc, but fell asleep and the 10pm news was on by then. so i watched it, then discovered the discs. it meant ripping up the envelopes they were in and putting the discs in a shoebox that the photo memory cards are in.
  it was getting late, so i knew i needed to get up and go out. i made it to the karaoke venue and sang 'complicated; by avril lavigne. i had just heard it on my car radio on the way there.

along came polly movie

i looked for my DVD copy of 'reality bites' this week after getting the movie soundtrack at a resale shop. it was one of three ben stiller movies in the case, sold with 'mystery men' and 'along came polly'. i hadn't seen 'polly' yet but i said this is a good day for it. i was a little confused at first, since his lady is named lisa. i said 'lisa isn't polly' but eventually it is 'enter polly'. i saw plenty of relatable things in the ben stiller character, analyzing risk at an insurance company. i am also often the type that is very careful in all that i do. it was all right, but it wasn't why i bought this 'triple feature' DVD.
  i would like to think i made the most of the day. i applied for more jobs, and i have a phone interview scheduled for early next week. i also made it back to the resale shop. i wanted to get a picture of the karaoke discs i had seen there this week, and show them to the button. i found them, got the photos, but didn't buy them. i bought 6 items in all. it was 3 DVDs, a CD, a book, and another box of cereal. when i arrived there was nothing on the shelf, then as i was ready to check out a damaged box was there. already watched one of the three DVDs, in the evening. it was a highlight video of the 'dean martin show'. since bob Newhart was part of it i said i had to have it. the other two were 'beautiful mind' and 'joy luck club', and will replace two more VHS tapes. the book was by frank deford, about baseball's new York giants in the day of Christy Mathewson and john McGraw. the CD was another movie soundtrack, 'oh brother where art thou'.
   i sang at the karaoke bar in the evening, 2 songs. 'sunday morning' by no doubt, and 'working class hero' by green day.

calls then sleep

i did not leave my home until evening, when i went to sing karaoke. as we all know, readers, this has happened before when i am 'on vacation'. i am doing my best to make the most of the time, applying for jobs as much as possible. or in some cases, calling places where i have business cards and following up with them. it might have yielded an interview, through an agency, but i don't know yet. by afternoon i fell asleep in my easy chair. i had been charging my phone and when i turned it on again there was two messages waiting. one was about moving an appointment due to the change in my work schedule. the other appears to be an interview request, but not with an agency. but since it was early evening by then, it meant having to wait to respond to them. i watched two 'big bang theory' episodes tonight. syndicated rerun was when howard threw out the first ball at an angels baseball game. the prime time episode was about amy Farrah fowler choosing a wedding dress.
   i sang two songs at the karaoke bar. it was 'stay faraway, so close' by U2, and 'elastic heart' by sia. the button's friend was there as well, much like last week. she sang 'no rain' by blind melon. sounds familiar, she may have also sang it last week. another familiar one was a lady singing a metallica selection.

reality bites movie soundtrack

i went to a resale shop, goodwill in Roseville, this afternoon and made some nice finds there. this included looking at the CDs. good idea i checked inside each case i was interested in, as the actual disc was missing from some of them. besides a box of cereal (for only a dollar), and a book from the 'chicken soup' series- about baseball- i liked finding and buying the soundtrack from the movie 'reality bites'. i do recall seeing this movie at the theater. i already had one of these songs, 'locked out' by crowded house, as i had it as a single CD. but this isn't the only song i like on this soundtrack. i also like the one by U2, 'all i want is you'. and it is good exposure to some others, such as Juliana hatfield, and lisa loeb. i don't think i had those two on disc before. there are plenty of photos included with the lyrics, scenes from the movie. i liked that janeane garofalo was in it, she is one of my comedy influences. ethan hawke, one of the stars of the movie, has a song on it as well. i also went to the library, but i need to do more research about applying for jobs with some of the companies i am interested in. meaning, find my user id and password for one. and the other is a fairly new profile, dating back only to the timberwolves job fair of just over two weeks ago. so it means uploading my resume there, and add whatever other information that needs to be added. i picked up some orders at the post office as there was an email from e-bay saying it had been delivered. this included a box of Charlie brown trading cards, over a hundred of them. i really liked how many of them were related to baseball.
    i was making and taking some calls as well. i spoke with an HR rep from a bank that i have sent numerous applications to. i said i wasn't having any luck, met him at a job fair months ago. he said he would make some calls and get back to me about it. i also heard from the test scoring company i had worked with. looks like i am going back to work next week, but not on Monday. i also made a call to an advisor, to say the advice to contact a certain agency kind of worked.
   in the evening i went to a venue to perform, but once again, no show runner there. so something is wrong, as the show has been canceled three times since it started in January. so much like before, i decided to go to another venue. and it was nice to see two comics i hadn't seen in a while. one of them was neck tattoo, he said he is no longer on facebook but he will try to find me on twitter. he said he hadn't been to the clubs to perform in a while, something like 3 years. i know he had been doing a radio show, sub teacher had helped him with getting it set up. the other i saw was Nebraska, i asked if there was a comedy show at a strip club. last time i saw him he said there was, and he was going to follow up on getting stage time there. i also liked seeing the button, i spoke with her before i even signed in and got a beer. she said she was auditioning for a comedy festival soon.

crayola experience, mall of america

this afternoon i went to see the Crayola experience at the mall of America. i had a free ticket from the state fair and wanted to use it before i forgot about having it as it would expire in early august. it was a thin crowd as it was a weekday, which is fine with me. i started off with two tokens, and i used both. one was to create my own crayon, in terms of what i put on the label. the other looked more like a vending machine. it dispensed a pack that said 'model magic', and i haven't opened it yet. i am thankful i had the free ticket as it was hard to tell what the admission fee would have been otherwise, based on the postings i saw outside the place. i know i had picked up some discount flyers that said '$5 off', there were 3 of these flyers i had kept. from dairy queen, super-America, and subway. i also had two slightly similar brochures, that said on the front 'discover the magic of color at the world's newest Crayola attraction!' one said coming to the mall summer 2016, the other said buy tickets online and save. i noticed there was a smashed penny machine, so i got one of those souvenirs after i had left the exhibit. i like those smashed pennies, getting close to completing a second album. i picked up another brochure there, a map and info guide. looks like i covered just about everything they had there- except for toddler town (a play area) and the café (wasn't hungry and an employee said 'we're closed' when i started to look around after the nearby silly putty show ended). there was so much to see and do there, proven with all of the pages i ended up with. i made my own jigsaw puzzle, 6 pieces, wrote in different crayons 'emerson hough huskies, the covered wagon' on it. early on i posed for a photo and it was added to my own coloring page. one sees a laughing crayon on one side of me and a squirrel on the other side. there were two more coloring pages i acquired, one has a pee wee football player on it and the other a nymph riding a ladybug. there was also a 'you design' coloring page, i chose the one with a car on it. i had to color my design and then it was scanned into their system. there was also a 'rocking paper' ladybug, and a clapboard for filming a movie that i used paint to color in. there was a drying machine for it after i was done. there even was two-tone 'splatter art' on a circular page, and a car that was made out of melted crayon. actually i have two souvenir crayons, besides the aforementioned one where i made my own label, there was one given after the factory show in the theater. inside it was keeping track of how many crayons had been made, it was in the quadrillions. it reminded me of a similar electronic sign at Coca-Cola world in Atlanta. i even had some art emailed to me. it was probably more fun for the kids, i could tell how much some of them liked the silly putty show. but i still enjoyed it and learned a few things. in the history display it spoke of the crayons being part of the 1904 st. louis world's fair. and of course i used Crayola crayons and markers as a kid, so it was familiar to me. especially the smell of the crayons. so it was worth it to see it. before i went in i found a wishing well at the mall for the four Canadian pennies i had.
   in the morning i got a look at the herberger's liquidation sale at the mall in Roseville, but i didn't buy anything. there was nothing i really needed, and it is early so the discounts are still small. i also went to the library and printed a few things and applied for more jobs.
   in the evening i watched two 'roseanne' episodes that i had missed, they were the first two that had originally aired less than a month ago. then i went to perform at two different venues. i spoke of being at the Crayola experience, and shared some more funny things that the kids wrote on the essays i had to read as a test scorer last week.

fort dearborn spoon

i looked around at an antique shop after an appointment this morning. i asked about what world's fair items they had, and in a locked-up case there was one from the 1933 Chicago world's fair, century of progress. it was a spoon that depicted the fort Dearborn replica. it was the most notable item i saw there, and i left without buying anything. it was cramped there, but it was also the only one on that corner open on a Monday. i had passed by every so often but was always on the way to somewhere else, couldn't find the time to stop there- until now. i guess he also had some st. paul winter carnival buttons as well, but i already have plenty of those. so it is harder to find one that i don't have yet. i really didn't feel like the appointment was all that helpful, same as before. since i have a feeling that he just isn't on my side, and to me comes across as condescending. i spoke of how i think it is silly that companies hire people based on how one answers questions at interviews, without testing them on actually doing the work. as a performer, i know at auditions that one actually will read lines. and he tried to compare it to auditions, and it doesn't compare. and he tried to explain why there are behavioral questions, such as 'describe a conflict with a coworker'. saying they won't hire anyone that says 'they will punch them out'. why so extreme? so much like before, when people fail to understand me, just don't know what makes me tick, i have no choice but to 'go it alone'. he had also failed to understand me when i said the test scoring job was a seasonal project, he thought it was temp-to-hire. i do have more of the time this week to apply for more long-term jobs, and i will do my best to make the most of it. this included getting my account set up with the state of Minnesota, and i applied for 10 jobs with them. i will have to see if there is anything good in the area but outside of the capital city of course. although the bulk of them are in the capital city. i am finding things to do, i like having something to do. this included passing by a car wash and noticed there as a bumper crop of coins to pick up. it is easier to notice since the snow has been cleared to a corner of the lot. i figured there was about a dollar's worth of pennies, but it was way more than that. the final total that went into my change bank was 11 dimes, 3 nickels, and 285 pennies. so just over four dollars all told. i spent plenty of time cleaning some of them before they were put in the change bank, since it was hard to read the year or see Lincoln's face on it. that meant plugging the sink in the bathroom and dumping them in water to help clear off any of the crud. and when i drained the sink there was plenty of residue to be seen. but it also meant pretty much 'polishing' the dirtiest ones. actually there was 5 more pennies i found, but two were too damaged so i put them in my trash can. and the other 3 were Canadian, and i can throw them in a wishing well when i get the chance. there is one at mall of America, and i have a free ticket for the Crayola experience. i had meant to see it when i was 'on vacation' before, but just never got around to it. i have no idea why people just throw away pennies, but i will gladly pick them up. i think what will keep me going this week, is knowing i am likely going back to work as a test scorer next week. but at the same time, i knew that even though i was thrilled to be back at work for 7 weeks, it was harder to apply for other jobs. or to even respond to the voicemails that came in. well i did some of this today. i questioned how one place called me about test scoring, did they know i worked for a competing company? but then i found out it was through a temp agency i had already registered with, but hadn't heard from in a while. i explained what my 'avails' were, and their opportunity really didn't fit my schedule, since they want somebody who can report right away.
   i made it to 2 performance venues tonight, and at the first i did two 'ring of honor' photos. one of them was cul-de-sac. i performed at the second venue, and read some of the funnier things i wrote down from test scoring. notable was that i got out a lighter coat to wear, so i would like to think that my winter coat can now be put away for the season.

fringe unified auditions

i had two events this afternoon in uptown Minneapolis. the first was Fringe festival unified auditions, at the phoenix theater. i wanted to do this a year ago, but the slots were full by the time i emailed about it. so i told myself i wanted to learn from that mistake, and needed to email much earlier this time, shortly after seeing the announcement. i got about 3 minutes onstage, i was asked to do a monologue. i did 2 jokes from my stand-up act, and i said i wanted to do some serious lines as well. so it meant reciting some lines i recall from my 3 favorite movies, 'rain man', good will hunting', and 'up in the air'. i saw somebody i knew there from the stand-up circuit, i have called him 'a ball of energy'. so i guess he has a fringe show this year. i said hi to him after leaving the stage, although the clipboard lady frowned upon me doing that. then i did an interview for a podcast. i had noticed somebody with a microphone earlier and had to ask what it was about. i spoke about various subjects related to performing, including mention of having a role in Fringe in 2016. i even spoke of how being equipment manager on my high school's football team influenced it some.
   i walked around uptown for a while after the audition, as i knew i had just over an hour until the next event, a movie at MSP film festival. i had an ice cream cone at the McDonald's. the movie was 'through the banks of the red cedar'. it was about the Michigan state football team in the 1960s, and one of those players ended up with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. the filmmaker was the daughter of this player, gene Washington. i noticed a man in Vikings garb in the front row, he even had horns on, besides a jersey, and a shield. there was a Q and A session as well, mike max from WCCO was the moderator. carl eller, another Viking, was also there.
    this evening i watched 'the simpsons', it was about the family visiting new Orleans. there was also mention of the next week's episode being a historic one, as it will pass 'gunsmoke' to become the show with the most episodes all time. after that i did the dishes, shredded junk mail, and took out the recycle. i also did a walk around the neighborhood, and made it back before the 10pm news.

santa mesa movie

three orders were picked up at the post office this morning, one of them was the DVD movie i ordered from amazon. it was 'santa mesa', mostly filmed in the Philippines. Melissa leo is in it, i have seen some other movies she is in. i haven't been there yet, but i read how santa mesa is a section of manila. it sure looked crowded there. i let my former boss know i saw the movie, linkedin message, and said i didn't understand the carts with umbrellas on top going on the tracks at a railroad station. i also saw some 'jeepneys', i am familiar with them. it is about a kid that is sent to live with his grandma in the Philippines after his mom dies. i enjoyed seeing one character in it, who was big into photography. i am aware that this movie is anything but new. looks like the copyright at the end of it said 2007, so just over a decade ago. it does give me a better feel of the nation. i still hope to make it there someday. i watched it in the evening.
    i did some other things today. i went to a baseball game in the afternoon, it was at the twins stadium. a college game, the Minnesota gophers were paying my school, the iowa hawkeyes. no surprise how it was a sparse crowd, as college baseball doesn't interest most people. the announced crowd in the box score was just over 1,300. iowa lost 3-0. their starting pitcher was pulled in the 3rd inning, after the gophers went ahead 2-0. iowa got nearly as many hits as Minnesota, but iowa also hit into 3 double plays. this of course makes it harder to score. i took the light rail to and from the game. i wasn't that hungry then, so i was fine with having very little to eat. i bought a bag of potato chips and that was it, in terms of food. also got a program.
   i performed at the karaoke bar tonight, the song was '40 hour week' by Alabama. it was on my mind as of course i just wrapped up the test scoring project. there was a big crowd there, really hopping. even saw two patrons dancing close to the stage when i was singing. i went to another bar earlier in the night in hopes of getting comedy stage time, but the slots had already filled. the show had been postponed nearly a week ago due to the snowstorm. i said to the show runner that i understand, and i would try again next month. so i went to get groceries at aldi. this is what made me think of a rolling stones song, 'you can't always get what you want'. eventually i know i will want to sing it at a karaoke venue. couldn't find it in the book at the venue tonight though, but their books are thinner than many others are, at least compared to the venues I've seen.

florida project, final day

based on how many tests were remaining, i knew there was a good chance we would finish the project before the end of our normal workday. and we did. they called it just after 2pm, and i had scored 80 tests by then. although some were rated C- copied text. there was more than usual in this category, i think i had 7 today and just 1 the previous day. there was evaluations of my boss, and the moderator, i completed both. reminds me of course evaluations in college. i was pleased that we still were paid until 4pm, so i just lost one hour. during this 7-week project i didn't use the vending machine at all. and since there was just 30 minutes for lunch, i had all lunches in the breakroom. i have all of next week off and i am slated to do another scoring project soon.
  i did some errand running once i got home. this included turning in change at the bank, it was $14.07 and was deposited in savings. then it was on to sport clips for a haircut. a hair cutter recognized me, but not the one that cut my hair this time. it was somebody that i knew from the comedy circuit, but hadn't seen in a while. a song i heard on my car radio while doing errand running was 'we may never pass this way again'. somehow it seemed like an appropriate song since it was the final day of the project. hard to say how much i will see my test scoring neighbor though, as we are assigned different projects. maybe in passing.
   in the evening i watched a DVD movie, 'Jackie robinson story', where Jackie played himself. it was the last of 3 baseball movies on DVD. then it was on to the karaoke bar, i did 2 songs much like the night before. it was 'sunday morning coming down' by johnny cash, and 'against all odds' by phil Collins. i have also been exchanging emails with a member of a writers organization i am a part of. we have a convention, or delegate assembly, this year. i would like to be a delegate as i have enjoyed it before. the other guy said he is working in reno, Nevada, for a few more weeks. i spoke of how i hadn't heard from the chapter chair lately. i watched much of 'bull durham' on TV before leaving for the karaoke bar. i am a sucker for baseball movies, as may already know.

post-it color variety

i have been using post-it notes at my test scoring job to keep track of how many tests i score each day. and counting out citations as well as claims or reason statements help with knowing how to score the tests as well. i am using a variety of colors on the post-it notes, whatever i can find in the basket. i use plenty of pink, light blue, and yellow. but it has meant going to the other side of the room, beyond the partition, where another project is happening. but i just go get what i need and leave right away. i scored 140 tests.
   i also responded to a voicemail from a temp agency. surprising how they called me, considering it was the one from February that pulled the 'bait and switch' thing on me. i was told there were opportunities that will go quick, but during the call i was just re-answering questions about my experience and what i am looking for. still not sure when i will get job descriptions, as i have yet to see an email about it. so it is hard to say if anything will become of it.
   i went to the karaoke bar tonight and sang 2 songs. the regular karaoke jockey wasn't there, so there was a fill-in. i did 'come as you are' by nirvana, and 'what about love' by heart. i saw the button's friend, much like last week. i was able to see her sing one song, as she arrived earlier this time. it was 'wrecking ball' by miley cyrus.
   i watched 2 'big bang theory' episodes. syndicated rerun was one that had bob Newhart as guest star, it was when professor proton died. prime time episode was about stuart getting more business at the comic book shop, and having to hire an assistant manager. 'young sheldon' was about Sheldon trying to be matchmaker, between his grandma and a college prof. i think the actor playing the prof was in the movie 'princes bride'.

younkers is closing

i read the Minneapolis paper in the breakroom today and the death of former first lady Barbara bush wasn't the only notable news to me. it was also how the owner of younkers department stores would be closing all locations soon. growing up in iowa, i often heard about younkers even if i, or my family, didn't shop there as much as other stores. i had to check the Wikipedia article to be reminded of all of the brand names that will close up shop with them. this includes carson's (or carson pirie scott), Bon-ton (the flagship), Bergner's, boston store, elder beeman, and herberger's. living in suburban Chicago, i was familiar with carson's. the article spoke of the company dating its history back to 1854, this would be under the carson's name. all but one of these seven brands go back to the 19th century, all eventually acquired by bon-ton. living in Minnesota, i am more familiar with the herberger's brand. i went online and saw there are 7 locations in the twin cities metro area, including st. paul (university avenue), Roseville, and Maplewood. i know the new ulm store is notable to me as well, as it is the anchor store at that town's mall. and it was tough to see how most of the mall was empty store fronts, except for that one department store. so now i will have to see if it works to buy anything at the upcoming liquidation sales. it will all be about what i need of course. when it is a clothing store, i know i don't shop for clothes much. reading the article from the paper, and Wikipedia, further, it reminded me of warning signs that they weren't doing well. there was mention of filing for bankruptcy in February, explaining the liquidation sale i shopped at for a carson's store in Schaumburg when i visited suburban Chicago last month. another was the low stock price, something like 4 cents when the liquidation announcement was made. also how the company hadn't turned a profit since 2010. but i find it hard to say online retailers like amazon are why. i think it is more like discount stores such as target and Walmart. some things i won't buy online, and clothing is one of them. i often write this off as 'economic darwinism', where the strong survive. but i still hate seeing empty storefronts wherever i go.
   at work i scored 135 tests, so up from the previous day. i had another 'alert paper', so just my second, but my neighbor said he hasn't had any yet. it was nice to go perform tonight as well, especially seeing airway there. he said he would try to make it more often. still trying to make an end run on a password issue when applying for jobs with the state. in one voicemail i said i may have to take care of it in person next week, hard to handle when i can only call about it during breaks. and their office is not open on weekends.

test score countdown

while test scoring today, we started seeing a countdown from the moderator. looks like we have about 28,000 tests to score in this project. i am working harder on trying to get something else lined up, since it will all be done soon. i made some calls during my lunch, deciding to go to my car as it would be easier to hear them while away from others. my test scoring total was down a little from the previous day, at 131. i, like many others, was likely slowed down by having to look at handwritten tests. we are told there are about 700 of them. of course they are harder to read. somebody found me during the first break of the day and said she noticed by iowa hawkeye sweatshirt from sunday. found out she attended that school as well.
    in the evening, after watching 'roseanne', i went out to the jc penney in Roseville to get a replacement office shirt. i did, and bought a pair of socks as well. i got both at the clearance sale price. then i went to perform at two different venues. i spoke of the bar altercation the night before, and cul-de-sac is an MC at the first venue, and i got some of his perspective of it.

rip in shirt

at work just after lunch I noticed a rip in my shirt close to the left elbow. so it came as no surprise how I ended up working on that rip for much of the rest of the day and made it larger. so when i got home i finished ripping it up and putting it in the trash. so now it means getting around to replacing it soon, since i have a 3-week rotation of office shirts. i scored 143 tests, same as Friday. i am aware that the end is near, at least on this florida 8th grade assignment anyway. this begins the final week of it. some were late or absent due to the weather, eventually my neighbor made it in.
  i also made it to the performance venue tonight, and spoke about various subjects. i also answered the intro given by the show runner, as it was in reference to a samurai.  said my college roommate loves working in japan. i was getting hassled by some dude that i didn't even know at the bar, when i was talking to cul-de-sac. i have no idea why anyone would have a problem with a pleasant conversation between two people that are friends. go figure. he found me later on and it sounded like he wanted to make amends, so it remains to be seen as to how this one plays out.

april blizzard

it seems like the snow just doesn't want to end. i got my car out at mid-morning so i could go to the grocery store, felt good how it wasn't snowing then. but i started up again later on. i was pleased that i didn't get stuck at all during my errand running, not only for groceries but also to the library in the late afternoon. i had some help getting pushed out though, after shoveling around my car before starting the engine. i stopped at aldi, family dollar, and Walgreen. i also applied for some jobs that were related to the timberwolves job fair. although some of the leads there may not yield much, upon further research. but you do what you can, and must hope for the best on where i did apply. and still can apply. i am waiting for a password reset on one of the places i wanted to apply to. harder to remember passwords when i don't use them much. i got the dishes done a little earlier than typical, before watching 'the simpsons' as i wanted to devote plenty of time to applying later in the evening. the episode was about moe's family being in the mattress business. i heard people complaining about the snow, but i am pleased that it was basically just an inconvenience for me. so a few shows i could have performed at were canceled, big deal! this april blizzard could have been way worse. i would also have to add the MSP film-fest to this story. one movie i wanted to see, a bio-pic about the man behind 'mr, togers neighborhood', apparently was sold out. hopefully i will still have a chance to see it at theaters later on. but much like before, i wanted to curb my disappointment and got an advance ticket ordered for another movie. it will be in a week, i trust that it will be nicer weather by then.

lucky charms frosted flakes

i went to the grocery store after work today. i wanted to pick up a few items to get through this snowstorm. one of them was cereal, and i chose the box that was in the discount bin at cooper's. it was lucky charms frosted flakes. it is in a blue box, i am of course used to the red box. the cereal tasted fine, still has the marshmallows in it. on the back of the box was a question: how would you describe the magically delicious taste? and it listed 8 different kinds of marshmallows. more than what i was familiar with. there is hearts, stars, horseshoes, clovers, blue moons, hourglasses, rainbows, and tasty red balloons. more than once on this box, there is mention of 'whole grain is the first ingredient'. i knew i needed breakfast items, since i wanted to go a little longer before making my weekly run to the grocery store. i am hopeful that the storm has passed by midday sunday, making it easier to get around. this was one of seven items i bought. i also got a small bottle of milk, two TV dinners, sparkling ice water, a pack of two Danish rolls, and some lunchables. as usual, my eating schedule is a little off during the weekends, especially when i often don't get breakfast that early. so i was ready for more by the time i got to cooper's, and the lunchables fit the bill.
   i got a breakfast sandwich at super-America this morning, after checking my post office box. more than expected to pick up there, aided by the book i ordered from amazon being in the box and not 'pick up at counter'. but also due to getting two copies of the magazine, instead of one. both e-bay orders were there, postcards. i will have to admit that i didn't like the breakfast sandwich as much as the one i normally get from the holiday station, also since i am able to get a hash brown from holiday as well. part of me felt like staying home today, but i also knew i needed the money so i told myself to try to make it into work. it was no problem getting to work, it helped that i can take the interstate most of the way to woodbury. although i didn't go more than 40 mph for a while, it was what i was comfortable with. i scored 76 tests, i worked 4 hours and left around 2:40pm. somebody was in our room letting us know about the weather, but it was after 2pm by then and i was planning to leave once i got 4 hours in, which was 20 minutes later. i said to my team leader that it was wrong to turn down work if i could make it. in addition, i was only up to 38 hours for the week at the end of the day Friday, due to attending the job fair Monday. so i wanted to get the attendance bonus as well. i took a 15-minute break midway through, and had the snack i brought with me but not the can of soup. i had a pop tart and some animal crackers, so 'odds and ends'. i was careful when i left, meaning i didn't like going on the interstate at only 40mph so i left once i first had the chance. it was harder getting around on secondary roads, but i didn't get stuck. and the cooper's was on my way home, with the route i chose today.
   after checking email once i got home, i slept for a while, then put in DVD movies before and after the 10pm news. it was 'kill the umpire', and 'what comes around'. the former was a baseball movie, starring William Bendix. the latter was a country music movie, starring jerry reed.

boxing at minneapolis armory

i attended my first-ever event at the Minneapolis armory. it was a night of 8 boxing matches, i saw 6 of them. i knew full well that seeing all of them was a bad idea, when i work until 5pm and i wanted to go eat before i went to the event. i had them print my ticket when i arrived as it wouldn't print when i ordered from Ticketmaster. i said 'that is so cool!' about many things i saw there, starting with the WPA murals near the entrance. there were trophy cases full of memorabilia from various events held there over the years, such as lakers basketball, even the filming of a music video by prince, '1999'. i bought a drink while there, pineapple juice, way cheaper than beer. i got some photos of the matches i saw. as i recall, these were the results of those i saw: unanimous decision, corner TKO, TKO, KO (after 3 knockdowns in the first round), unanimous decision, majority decision. while watching one of them, the TKO, i said i was surprised to see such a tall dude as a boxer. he looked more like a basketball player. some of the matches were on TV, the first three were not but the five after that were.
   i didn't have to walk far to get back on the light rail, but it wasn't much fun to be snowed on during the short walk, it was really coming down. in addition, there was a blockage of the track and it took a while before a light rail going my way arrived. on the way there i heard some riders talk about 401k accounts and taxes, along with two women he knows and how he wants a housewife. on the way back it was hearing from a man who had a can of hamm's beer and spoke of choosing to be homeless. another man spoke of taking OxyContin, and how he kept scratching his face after using methamphetamine. i just said to myself 'thanks for the warning'. at work i scored 143 tests. there was mention of shared test scoring rooms, and it meant us having to move. so it meant packing up our belongings in a hard plastic bin.

songs on 'young sheldon'

i took notice tonight when i heard songs on 'young sheldon', at the start and end of the episode. looks like both were remakes, or covers. the first was 'have you ever seen the rain', and the second was 'what a wonderful world', by the ramones, and joey Ramone, respectively. i knew it would bother me for a while until i knew for sure what the first one was, as hearing just one line wasn't enough. but i went to the karaoke bar and the karaoke jockey was informed about it and he found it. there was a site that will list songs from each episode, and then we listened to it on his phone. naturally i knew different versions better, by CCR, and louis Armstrong. the episode was about Sheldon having his comic books taken away, and then a tornado happened. 'big bang theory', which is on before it, was about Sheldon and his friends going to visit a reclusive scientist. and amy Farrah fowler got her bachelorette party.
   i did three songs at the karaoke bar tonight. it was 'who knew' by pink, 'have you ever seen the rain' by CCR, and 'don't dream it's over' by crowded house. besides the middle one, i had heard them on my car radio on the way to the venue, or to the library where i went to print things. i saw the button's friend there, but i had already sang twice by the time she arrived, and left shortly after the third song. and this was before she sang. but we hugged, and i said i was doing the best i can when asked how i was doing, and how it would be nice to see the button more often.
   before i made it to the venue, i stopped at a holiday station and got some pop-tarts, had seen them the previous day and i am a big believer in 'get while the getting is good'. especially since i missed out recently, thinking i would have more time. at work i scored 146 tests, so the same number as Tuesday. there is overtime being offered this weekend, but i will have to check the weather report of course as there is snow expected.

looked at me sideways

the moderator at work used a term i hadn't heard before. it was 'looked at me sideways'. in reference to how the test scoring project is going. i looked it up after work and found out it meant 'doubtful or suspicious'. so i liked learning something new. found out it is also the title of a brother ali song, so at some point it means listening to the song. it was one of the hits just below the one i was looking for, about the definition of the term. i scored 143 tests today, so just under what i scored compared to Tuesday. but sometimes this happens, as i want another look at it. we had a guest speaker at midday, it was our HR rep, who spoke of the break room being crowded at lunchtime. also how the assignment i am doing after this one ends has been delayed a day. all of this reminds me to ramp it up on getting something else lined up soon. but i have to try hard to find the time, when i perform a lot in the evenings. or what is also the case, being tired after work. i fell asleep for a while tonight, after watching a rerun of 'three's company'. and then it was two hours later, the open-mic i normally go to tonight had already started. but i made it before the show ended, i was the last one on. so it still worked out fine. i have been exchanging emails with somebody who spoke of a call center position, but i have no interest in doing that. he asked for a resume, but probably already had the same version that i ended up sending. odd how he asked me specific things about call center work, that i didn't have answers for, even after i said i wasn't interested in that field. so i can't count on much there. i have already learned to be wary of agencies, as i seem to get more jobs, or least the better ones, when i apply directly. it is hard to know at times who is hiring, though. and needing to pay bills as well. so i haven't ignored agencies entirely.
   when i performed tonight i hadn't finished my beer yet, so i took it onstage with me. but the popcorn, left it at the table. i still wanted time to finish my beer after my set, saying i will leave when it is done. i covered many of the same subjects as previous mics this week, including seeing the 'roseanne' revival last night. but also things like the april snow, and seeing the shrine circus.
   i posted on facebook about seeing 'roseanne', and got 6 likes. i was afraid at first of saying i watched it, and liked it, since one performer said he wouldn't watch, and why. but i said 'screw it, i don't care'. in reference to wondering if i would lose anyone because of it. but i liked hearing from others, saying they liked seeing the show, so i like knowing i am not alone. i was asked what scene prompted me clap, i said it was the one at the animal shelter. usually i just get likes when i post there, so i liked how i got comments this time as well.

roseanne TV show revival

i watched my first episode of the 'roseanne' TV show revival tonight. i had missed it the previous two weeks as i didn't bother to check what night it was on. but i found out it was the lead-off slot in prime time on Tuesday night on ABC, so i said i can find a way to make it work in my schedule. i figured i would be too busy with performing, but usually not that early in the evening. i do recall the original run of the series, from 1988-1997. i said i couldn't watch it at first, since i mainly knew about Roseanne being a loudmouth. but i started watching it and i said i liked it and didn't like it for the same reasons: I could relate to it all too well. since i came from a working-class family. standouts for me were when Darlene yelled back at her mom, saying she wasn't becky. and when Roseanne spoke to her dad's corpse in the funeral home.
   i found things about tonight's episode that i liked. for one thing, the dan conner character wearing a hoodie, as i do that. and of course the daughters having the courage to yell at their mom. i even clapped when i saw how one scene ended, it was brilliant. this is a big deal as i don't clap all too often while watching shows. i have to be real impressed and inspired to do so. there is a good chance that i will watch some more episodes in the near future.
   i performed at two venues tonight, and spoke about watching this show at both of them. also notable was getting merch from Arizona Chicago, who recently moved here. she recalls me asking for merch better than i did, and it is a shirt she gave me. i am thankful to have it. i haven't seen her perform yet since she moved, since she is at the second venue i perform at and i am not arriving early enough after performing at the first.
   other notables of the day was finding two more Canadian quarters while walking back to my car after performing at the second show. i am now over 11 dollars for my next visit there. i have been saving any Canadian coins i am finding. i made it to family dollar after work to pick up a few items, including dish soap and bar soap. at work i scored 146 tests, another daily record. i showed up a little earlier this morning, wanting to make up some time after doing just a half-day on Monday.

t-wolves job fair

i did a half-day at work, scored 71 tests, and left at 12noon to attend a job fair in Minneapolis. it was at the target center, and in the evening i attended the timberwolves gave there. i was a little disappointed about one company that wasn't there, but there still was plenty of other companies that i could talk to. it was a real eye-opener about what is out there. now it means following up with some of them when i have the time. i didn't want to mill around the arena after the job fair was done, as it wrapped up around 4pm and the game didn't start until 7pm. so i drove home and checked email there and had dinner, then took the light rail from a park and ride to the arena. it was great seeing a comic friend at the job fair and the game, he was the one that told me about it. we didn't have seats together at first, but he found a way to get that done. the wolves beat Memphis 113-94. i don't know if i have a blog nickname for this comic, at first when i met him a few years back i knew him as mason city's friend and a new Yorker. during the game i was thinking we were almost doing a Lt. Dan and Forrest Gump impression, with him being Lt. Dan, so this may be his name now. i am thinking  of how he looked after Vietnam, with the hippie hairdo. i had a little godfather's pizza at bobby and steve's before the job fair. i really enjoyed both events, it helped to attend them with a friend, and it seems that i don't do many events with comedy friends away from the clubs.

shrine circus at fairgrounds

it was a busy day for me. early in the morning i did the comedy marathon, then i woke up way earlier than i wanted to. watched a DVD movie, 'bang the drum slowly', and in the afternoon i went to the fairgrounds and saw the shrine circus. some things about the circus worked for me better than others. the 'clown prince' didn't work for me, i liked other things more like the animals, and the clowns playing baseball. a woman sitting a row in front of me spoke well about it, saying the clown prince wasn't just for the kids on his kind of antics, also for those who like the three stooges. there were protesters just outside the venue, not too surprised as i saw some when i made my first circus visit over a decade ago. it was when i saw the barnum and bailey circus, in suburban Chicago. it was about the treatment of the animals. i got some popcorn, and a program, during the intermission.
   after the circus i went to the library to print some things, including  updated resumes for the job fair on Monday. then i stopped at a Walgreen where i got some more discounted easter candy and a few other things. i watched 'the simpsons', it was about marge trying to get the family to read more. i still had plenty to do, including shred junk mail, get more things added to my comedy souvenir binder, and do the dishes. i got it all done just before the late local news, and i said i saw school bouncer in a TV commercial during the news.

working on the tape

I had to move up some of my errand running this morning, as I wanted to do some overtime at work. so it meant getting a breakfast sandwich a little early, and going to the post office shortly after it opened. i figured i would have to go to the counter to pick up one of my orders, but no need. the baseball player snoopy fit inside my PO box. but it wasn't easy to get snoopy out, plenty of tape on the Philadelphia cream cheese box it was in. so i had to work on the tape for a while. at first i just left it as i needed to get inside the office. but when i came out at midday for my break i got the box open. it had more time, 15 minutes, made a difference. also picked up a world's fair postcard. i scored 67 tests, pleased to get so much done. but it was much like other places where i have done overtime, where they knew it was voluntary and figured it was best to just turn people loose and let them do what they do best. announcements can wait for a weekday. i notified my boss about one test, where the student spoke about school shootings twice. they want to know of anyone does, and i wrote down the test number for our moderator.
   after work i got a hot dog at a super-America, and then went to the library and got some things printed. two of them were facebook postings, one from mason city about trying to find comedy gigs. and the other was from a record label owner, about great places to eat after a comedy show. i also ordered and printed a ticket for the shrine circus at the state fairgrounds, for sunday. i used a discount code from a TV commercial. then it was on to McDonald's to get an ice cream cone. at first i was going to get one at a dairy queen inside a mall, but it was closed, gone. after ice cream it was the grocery store, aldi, and then watch the news and then a sandwich at a subway.
   tonight i plan on performing at a karaoke bar, and then it means going to a performance venue as i am part of a comedy marathon. i reviewed the video on YouTube from two years ago, and checked my notes that are in a binder from last year. so i think i will be ready.

assignment extended?

when i was leaving at the end of the workday i saw some others looking at the posting on a wall near the front door. it stated who was part of later assignments after the current one ends in two weeks. there was three, i wanted to check that i was listed on only one. i am on one that is for Wisconsin, and will start less than a week after florida is done, and is slated to last about two weeks. much like the first assignment, it is the best offer available, largely due to being the ONLY offer, so i will likely accept it. although that late in the day, when i am just thinking about getting home and do other things like have a snack and check my email, i figured it was best to wait to inquire further as to what this means. such as if i have to sign a form saying i accept the offer. it looks like my neighbor got an offer as well, but a different assignment. i scored 130 tests, so i matched the previous day. as usual, i do better in the second half, after lunch, likely since we have the morning announcements during the first half, before i really get started and warmed up on the rhythm of scoring tests. one of those i saw was rated a 'C'- copied text- sometimes i get those. another was an 'I'- incomplete- first one of those. it was random words repeated for the longest time. i wanted to scroll all the way until the end to confirm that it was an un-scorable. i qualified for overtime this weekend, everyone did. and i intend to do some, after going to my PO box as i know there will be some orders to pick up.
   on facebook i saw how a longtime friend, my little league teammate, had posted a video of a pearl jam song, 'animal'. so we discussed seeing them in concert. i saw them first, twice during my time living in suburban Chicago, both times at alpine valley, WI. he has seen them way more often, he said 9 times, first time at summer-fest in Milwaukee. we hadn't talked that much lately, so i valued that a lot.
   i tried watching a DVD movie this evening, 'bang the drum slowly', a baseball movie that was a recent amazon order. but i fell asleep and missed most of it. so i will have to try again sometime soon. i knew how tired i was at work, yawning a lot, so it didn't surprise me much. especially when i was laying down in my easy chair and had a blanket draped on me. eventually i got up and went to a karaoke venue. i did one song, 'chicken fried' by the zac brown band. saw it in the book the night before, and said it looked like a good one. reminds me of attending some Chicago wolves hockey games, it was often played there. a crowd member said they liked hearing me sing it. i said i grew up in small-town iowa and some of what is mentioned in the song is familiar, even though it is about Georgia. somebody did 'real slim shady', i have done that one before.

about a girl, nirvana

i did 2 songs at the karaoke bar tonight. the second was 'about a girl' by nirvana. i had heard another song of theirs, 'lithium', on my car radio on the way to the venue. well it wasn't in the book, so i went with the 'path of least resistance'. although the man in charge of karaoke said he has 'lithium' so later on i can sing that one as well. i think i chose that one as i was thinking of my favorite movie, 'good will hunting', as the robin Williams character said he 'had to see about a girl' and then said 'he stole my line' after will wrote it in a note. the first song i did was 'judas' by lady gsga. i recall the video to it, how there are motorcycle riders in it, as i recall representing the 12 disciples. i liked the line 'in the most biblical sense, i am beyond repentance'. as a performer i understand artists often explore things, and sometimes they see themselves as 'fallen' or 'flawed' so it makes sense to me. a man i often see there was singing as well, and had a big belt buckle on with a dollar sign in the middle of it.
  at work i scored 130 tests, so i pushed my record a little higher. there was mention of overtime this weekend, and i will likely do some. the moderator said there was qualifying for it, in terms of how well we score on 'validity papers' but i would like to think that is no problem for me. i check the numbers that are passed around each day, it says i am no worse than anyone else when looking at number of tests scored, and the accuracy as well. compared to how the computer rated it.

maybe next week, charlie brown

no, not the title of a Charlie brown special. or at least, not yet. i was at a gas station tonight using the ATM and saw the front page of the st. paul paper. the photo was of a Charlie brown statue, at a golf course, with snow on it. and the title was 'maybe next week, Charlie brown'. it was in reference to the april snowstorms. and the description at the bottom said there was an article about the snow on another page. as a big fan of the comic strip, i told myself 'we knew how this one is going to end'. i don't buy the paper much, but in this case i did. i went outside and thought about it and then went back in to get it, along with a candy bar that was in the discount bin. i had just been to the ATM after all, so i had cash money on me. although i mostly have it for beer on nights when i perform, and yes i was headed to a performance venue.
    but it didn't end there. the show runner was absent at the first venue i went to, and another performer tried to contact some people to confirm his whereabouts. but it sounded like the open-mic wasn't going to happen, so no big deal. i knew well enough to line up alternate plans, and drove to another open-mic. i wasn't out much, just a one-dollar parking fee. i also got some salami out of the vending machine, and some nuts out of a 'quarter candy machine'. it went well on performing at the second venue, thankful that Stillwater moved me up a little in the lineup. i did plenty of stories about doing karaoke, and about the test scoring job. one performer had ordered plenty of fries, i liked being able to have some of them. he was brave enough to wear a Philadelphia eagles coat during this past football season, in this area, although he is a big dude i think most people have no choice but to leave him alone. i like how he is willing to shake my hand when i see him at the clubs, few others are willing to do that.
    it was slower going for a while getting to work in the morning, likely due to the condition of the on-ramps. i listened to happy meal's second CD while driving to work, i was laughing a lot. i saw this comic tonight at the second venue and said i wanted to listen to it a second time before posting any reviews anywhere. i scored 124 tests, so i pushed my daily record a little higher. the auditor was interested in what my boss brought to me, a printout of one of the tests i had scored.

parking lot machine

i went to perform at two different venues tonight, but i changed up where i parked. there was a new payment machine at my normal place, and it was picky-picky. usually when there is snow on the ground and one can't see the stall number, it would say 'enter 11'. well i tried various stall numbers, rejected all of them, so i decided to park at a ramp across the street. i was pleased that i ended up costing only a dollar more. i do this all the time, if it looks too hard, i line up alternate plans. it was nice to see Arizona Chicago at the performance venue tonight, the second one, though i arrived after her set was done. sounds like she has moved to the area, so hopefully i will have more chances to see her perform in the near future.
   i was running an errand this morning, on foot, before i went to work, walking through the snow. when i got back home i slid a little once i got inside. so i said i needed to change to shoes with more traction as i didn't want to fall on my way to work. i scored 120 tests, i liked being able to push my personal record a little higher. due to the snow, we waited a few extra minutes this morning to see if more people would show up. then eventually our moderator said that some weren't going to make it, i think a few of them were ill so it wasn't necessarily the weather as to why they were absent. when i wanted to leave at the end of the day i had to push a little harder on the gas pedal to get out of the spot due to the snow. at the start of the day i submitted a typed note to my boss saying i would be doing a half-day next week, as i have an appointment.

swallowed, bush

i went to the karaoke venue and did 3 songs. the first was 'swallowed', by bush. this one had been on my mind for quite a but lately, so i knew i had to sing it somewhere. always memorable was a line near the end of the song, 'miss the one that i love a lot'. the other two i did were 'talk dirty to me' by poison, and 'my city was gone' by the pretenders. the poison selection is a reminder of seeing a classmate at a reunion. i saw a performer that i recognized from the burlesque shows i attended, it was the MC but they had a different outfit on this time, compared to being a burlesque MC.
   i liked seeing happy meal tonight at the comedy club, i said i finally reminded myself to set aside the money for his second CD. now i hope to listen to it soon, although it is harder to do in my car when there is still winter weather happening. he said he had read my blog before, and figured out he wasn't grizzly. that would be a different comic.
   i scored 118 tests today at work, so one less compared to Friday. an auditor was in our room for much of the day, rather simple to spot as they were the one that i hadn't seen there before, often asking our moderator about things.

ballad of lefty brown movie

saw a redbox rental this morning, 'ballad of lefty brown'. it was a western, though not a typical one. since politicians figure into a big part of the storyline. in this case, it was a senator, and the governor, of montana. peter fonda was in it, but i didn't recognize any of the other actors in it. it was an all right movie, although not what i expected from a western.
   i went to church for easter, and the pastor spoke of willie nelson and the blues brothers in his sermon, which was titled 'on the road again', of course this is the title of a willie nelson song. i looked at the books in the 'cookie room' and wrote down the title of one of them, it was a history book. i will see if i can find it at amazon. then it was on to IKEA near the mall of America for easter dinner. i had the salmon, it was good. then i went to do laundry, and did plenty of walking around in the neighborhood while waiting for my laundry to finish. i walked past a 'vintage shop' that i had been in before and bought 3 postcards. one was from the 1939 new York world's fair, one was of Yellowstone park, one had a Theodore Roosevelt quote on it.
   i also performed at an open-mic, i ventured over there shortly after my laundry was done. i covered what i had been doing lately, since it is every two weeks and i hadn't been at the past two. one of those was of course my weekend in Chicago-land for my annual visit. near the end the MC, the resistable comic, spoke of the upcoming comedy marathon that will be at this venue. i will be part of that show as well. i watched 'the simpsons', it was about bart and his pranks. i still had more chores to do, and did them, such as the dishes, along with taking out the trash and recycle. i fell asleep while watching the late news.