bartender's karaoke ideas

I called an audible on performance venues tonight as it was too hard to get parking at the main one. so I went to a venue I hadn't seen in over a month, as they now have karaoke on a different night. the bartender had some ideas for what I could sing. this included 'son of a preacher man', 'crazy', and 'candy man'. I said I had to go my own way though. I was thinking of who I had met this week, he said we attended the same concert in 2005 at the saints stadium, bob Dylan and willie nelson. so I did two songs: 'always on my mind', by willie nelson, and 'move your body' by sia. another singer liked the sia selection and spoke of her song 'eye of the needle'. I thought about doing a third song but I knew I was tired so I went home.
   it wasn't a good day on the job front. I got a rejection email from the interview I did over a week ago. and I waited for a call from an agency and they never called. there was also a call saying they found my resume and wanted to interview me right away, but it sounded like sales so I turned them down. I didn't like the vibe I got from the call anyway, as it seemed like they were distracted and not paying much attention to me from the word 'go'. where do we go from here? I don't know.
   I also went through some collectibles that I bought from e-bay for the first time in a while, it included emerson hough items. one of them was a duplicate, a flyer for the movie 'man next door'. eventually I decided to frame one of them, since I had plenty of empty frames that once held 'ring of honor' photos. framing works well, as there were some movie posters based on his books that I already have. so this is the sixth movie based on one of his books where I have found some kind of promotional item for it. naturally it has been easiest to find things for 'covered wagon' and 'north of 36'. those were his most popular books and movies.

consent for nudity

I performed at an open-mic tonight, and the one after me was the final performer. she asked for 'consent for nudity' before she went to do her act. she was covered up while dancing for a while, then the cover came off. she also blindfolded herself for a while. it was no big deal to see somebody dancing to music while nude. I said to myself it was still better than when she performed while pointing a knife at the crowd, it was un-nerving to me. one never knows what they will see when out performing. I skipped some of the early acts, as I went to the main room to go over my material. I said it was a 'slow news week' since I tend to be auto-biographical, but I still found things to talk about. such as bed sheets, soap, and temp agencies.
   not much to report on the job front. I saw a few emails from a temp agency, surprised me a little to see the results of the five tests I did on Friday. I did better than expected on the typing test. but still no calls, and I was told to expect them. aside from one that said the client decided to fill the position with somebody that had applied directly. I went through shirts in the back closet and put more in a suitcase, to lighten the weight in the closet. I usually just wear shirts that are in the front closet. I really didn't go anywhere, at least in my car, until the evening, to perform.

garbage trucks

I have been watching the joel osteen TV program fairly regularly for a little while, it is for 30 minutes, after the 10pm news on WCCO on sunday night. tonight he spoke of garbage trucks, how sometimes people need to dump their garbage on someone, somewhere. somehow this resonated with me in terms of how I react to things. I have gotten better in recent years, but it can be hard to avoid getting frustrated and annoyed.
   I did one thing today that I know I haven't done too often before- I didn't leave my home at all. guess I found enough things to do inside. I went through a few storage boxes. I also watched a DVD copy of the movie 'winter's bone'. this dovetails well with playing the song 'small town Saturday night' often- actually finding it on youtube- something about being aware of being from small-town iowa is still a part of me and always will be. I recall saying the scenes and characters in this movie were familiar, reminded me of where I was from. I got the day started later than typical, not waking up- or least getting out of bed- until almost 12noon. I did a good read-through of the charlie brown book that I picked up this weekend, the amazon order. and I placed another order, for the movie 'varsity blues', using some of the gift card money. in the evening I did the dishes of course, and I have realized how I recently bought 3 items I don't have to buy that often. toothpaste, dish soap, mustard. all are cheap, about a dollar each, but they last for a while. I prefer longevity in most things, who doesn't?

thailand and japan coins

I went to a Walmart this afternoon to look around and was pleased to find some coins near the entrance. some were American pennies, two were stuck together. but there was also some foreign coins. I had to look them up online. it looked like one of them said '1 urn', this was from Thailand. the other I finally found out was a Japanese one-yen coin after entering 'branch and leaves'. I think both are likely worth the same as a penny, but I like having them. they went into a tin where other coins are kept that I am collecting. I let my college roommate know about it on facebook as he is currently working in japan, but is taking a vacation to korea. I did laundry this afternoon for the first time in a while, I had no choice as I was running out of things to wear. it meant retiring a few items, such as seeing holes in some socks.
   I also went through a pack of baseball cards I bought when I was in suburban Chicago in march and got them in binders. it helped that I freed up 3 sheet protectors that had been holding checklist cards, which I don't value much. late in the evening I went to do karaoke. I did 2 songs, 'fall down' by toad the wet sprocket, and 'plush' by stone temple pilots. I recognized somebody there, but couldn't recall her name until it was announced. she sang 'daniel' by Elton john. I also went to the post office and checked my box. four orders were there, one from amazon and the other three from e-bay. the amazon order was a charlie brown book. the others were baseball cards advertising baseball movies. it leaves one order outstanding, but the order had just been placed a week ago so the other one should be arriving soon.

3 reps, same agency

I spoke with 3 different reps from the same agency and I still don't know how much closer I got to getting back to work. the first two calls were about 15 minutes each, answering questions about my work history and hearing about available positions. then a third rep called me and I had to tell them they were not the first. I will admit I was getting annoyed with how there was duplication of efforts, as it seemed that no information was being shared even though it was the same agency. this led to me sending my resume twice, and doing a typing test twice. they all seem to be in charge of recruiting for different positions. with one of them I completed 5 tests, including reading comprehension. it has been a week since I interviewed with a bank, still haven't heard anything yet.
   I did some errand running in the morning, first to a dollar store to get a can of spaghetti and some dish soap. then it was to Walgreen where I got the paper and some razors. I passed on getting a bottle of mustard as there was just one size and I just wanted a small bottle for a dollar. I like having it for dipping chicken strips in when I have them in TV dinners. nothing wrong with being a little picky, I am hopeful to find what I want when I go to aldi for my weekly grocery run.
   I also went to sing karaoke, and did 'me myself and i' by g-eazy. it was right after a group sing of 'zombie'.

hat and belt buckle

I saw a regular at the karaoke bar I performed at tonight. he noticed my hat and I noticed his belt buckle, which had a super-hero theme. I did 3 songs as it was a sparse crowd. it was 'walk like an egyptian' by the bangles, 'small town Saturday night' by hal ketchum, and 'kind and generous' by natalie merchant. the middle one got some attention while I was onstage, hard to miss when a couple decides to dance at that time. growing up in a small town I know how this one resonates with me. I had heard it on the radio a few times recently. it wasn't the only place I performed at tonight, as I was part of a comedy contest. the 'extra murder' comic was show runner, as happy meal is still out of town, enjoying his time in Iceland, starting his trip in Ireland. it was great seeing some people I knew there of course, one of them was lunch lady. the Wisconsin couple were the show closers, working on material for their upcoming fringe show.
   I didn't drive my car anywhere until evening. I was on the phone about a possible job, after turning it on this morning and seeing 3 voicemails were waiting. the other two were about being double charged on the haircut, I guess one was from the franchise owner, and it will be refunded. some of what I did was getting some forms organized better. then I slept for a while in the afternoon, and when I woke up I had a call from a political campaign- a candidate for attorney general. it is no doubt election season, as the primary is next month. further evidence is an online survey I answered this evening, about candidates for governor. I still want to read through more and understand what the candidates are FOR and then make an informed decision. it is why I like hearing about when debates will be held. I have also received some postal mail from a candidate for governor. and I am seeing some yard signs around town as well.

prefer self-checkout

i did some more errand running today to stay busy. one stop was a target express, and I got a tube of aim toothpaste. I turned down the chance to have a cashier ring me up as I said I prefer self-checkout, and there was a wait for it but it wasn't long. then I went to turn in change at the bank, just over 2 dollars. it was all I had in the can for the past month, since I have had to cut spending while I am unemployed. as usual, I am getting a higher value from the pennies than nickels, as I am willing to pick up pennies when I see them on the pavement. or even inside a store, or next to the change counter. it spit out one coin, a penny from the 1940s, so it was placed in a tin with other old coins. I filed more applications with an agency, and did a data entry test with a bank as there was an email request for it. one agency emailed me and asked when I was available to take calls, and I was called shortly after it. but the call was dropped after just a few minutes, and I noticed the battery was low so I plugged it into the wall to recharge it. and got some other things done, such as the aforementioned errand running. I called and left a message, as well as responded to the email, so it is their move now. I also got an email from somebody representing the same agency, near the end of the day, so now I will have to find out what they have available. I am still waiting to have them do something about being double charged on the haircut, this time I spoke with the manager, who said she had tried to reach the franchise owner. I have been recognized by the manager before, from the comedy circuit as she has roomed with comics before.
  in the evening I performed at an open-mic, but did not sing this time even though 'mr. acronym' talked about it before the show. the bartender wanted to joke around a little when I was getting a beer, and I decided to make it part of my set. part of it was about where I leave tips. one tends to recognize the opportunities that exist with finding material. I even spoke of some of the weird stories about being onstage, and some recalled those as it was from the same open-mic, but when it was at a different venue.

whenever i get around to it

I was out doing some errand running and I hear my phone ring just as I was pulling in to one of my stops. it was from an agency that wanted an updated resume, and expected it in 15 minutes. I said 'whenever I get around to it'. since it's somebody from out of state that I've never met, and they have annoyed me before by calling too much, I didn't send it. I have no idea why they seem to send an email and call me almost simultaneously. choose one or the other, is my attitude about it. sounds like I have to wait even longer about being double-charged on last week's haircut, although the lady I spoke with recognized me. something about access to the system. so I called my bank and filed a claim there as it now has been posted to my account. I applied for some jobs online, but don't understand how one of the questions was about being punctual. I said attendance is no problem for me as I am hardly ever late. and I sent another follow-up email in reference to last week's interview, wanting to keep the other two people in the loop that were on the original message inviting me to the interview. I am trying to do what I have heard before that helps with getting hired.
   in the evening it was nice to see the Wisconsin couple when I went out to perform. I spoke of seeing a card advertising their fringe show, when I was doing volunteer orientation. looks like part of their act tonight was a warmup for their fringe show. I also saw Nebraska and I will have to follow up about something we had discussed before. I don't see him that often.

bust of pallas

I had a back-to-work meeting this afternoon and it was at the cubicle of my advisor. I noticed two things, one of them was a souvenir from Washington, DC, and the other was a bust. I am reminded of the edgar allan poe poem 'the raven' as of course the bust of pallas figures into the story, where the raven decides to perch and say 'nevermore'. but the bust here wasn't of pallas, but of former president jimmy carter. it was a little disappointing that the most important thing we did in this hour was applying for jobs on indeed, a website I am already registered with. I asked about network contacts were I have a leg up on getting an interview and getting hired, that would be his boss who would have those contacts. this will be a weekly thing.
   we had the open-mic this week, and I figured there was no need to ask why it was called off at the last minute last week. I know things happen all the time. notable was seeing mints in the shape of a square being in sleeves. I had four of them. this show runner likes to bring candy, and there was a bag of Hershey's kisses as well.
  I also spent time on the phone with my bank, about some disputed transactions with my debit card. I was reminded of one of them when looking at my monthly statement. the other was being double-charged for a haircut last week. I like how I don't have to call about this kind of thing that often. it meant filing a claim for the one that has already been posted to my account, the other was still listed as pending and I was advised to contact the merchant about it. this would be the hair place. the other one was a mistake, when I was trying to renew my license plates online and it was a guide about doing that thing, which of course I didn't need at all.

have a clay party

I went to volunteer orientation for the Minnesota fringe festival this afternoon, my second year doing so. after it was done I went to a water fountain and liked seeing a postcard there. it said 'have a clay party'. examples given are switch plates, butterfly ornaments, beads and buttons, finally frog sculptures. it is from a company called clay squared, 'fun, playful and relaxing for all ages'. it appears to be a company that is based nearby based on the address on northeast Minneapolis, and I was doing the orientation inside the former grain belt brewery complex. I got my volunteer shirt to wear when I am on duty, and since I already signed up for ushering shifts I got the vouchers as well. I plan on doing just four, the number of shows I also want to attend. I was allowed to claim a fringe magnet from a previous year, 2011, as well. this was before I even attended a show, let alone participated in it in any capacity. I had some time to fill after orientation was completed so I did walk around the area, got a few more photos. the nearby library was closed, as it normally is on a sunday, otherwise I would have went inside to read something there.
   then it was on to an open-mic in uptown, it was the final edition. the resistable comic is the show runner, and spoke of probably getting another show going at some point, but maybe not until sometime next year. some of us comics stayed for a conversation after the show was over, but I knew I wanted to get home and do some other things such as watch 'the simpsons' and get chores done, like the dishes. I also watched the college football movie 'the program' on DVD, a recent purchase. I stopped it when it was time for the 10pm news, then resumed it after it was done. there was just 30 minutes left when I decided to pause it. so now I can junk another VHS tape.

won't you be my neighbor movie

this afternoon I went to see the movie 'won't you be my neighbor' in Eagan. it is the documentary about mr. rogers, and his neighborhood. I chose that theater as I have a loyalty card there, and of course I wanted to earn more points. I learned something as usual, which is why I like seeing a documentary movie. it covered the parodies and criticisms as well. it reminds me of being at the Pittsburgh airport in august 2002 as there was a display stating that mr. rogers did his show in that city. it no doubt moved me, at times I wiped away a tear. I think it was due to coming from a broken family and hearing his philosophy it reminded me of what I was missing when I was young- support and encouragement from my own family. I liked how he covered how to explain certain subjects on his show, in case kids would see the news and then have questions about it.
   in the evening I watched the baseball game on fox, cubs-cardinals from Chicago. this was the second game of a day-night doubleheader, the first game was a makeup of a game from april. the cubs won the first 7-2 but the cardinals won the second, 6-3. even though only the second game was shown, it was hard to ignore how it wasn't the only one of the day, that I understood. there was an interview with the new cardinals manager, mike shildt. some mention of getting started doing odd jobs at stadiums when he was young, including orioles minor league teams.
   later on I went to the karaoke bar, and I got one song in near the end of the night. it was 'more than words' by extreme. I chose that one as I saw a stray page from the binder, and said 'that one looks good'. there was a larger crowd than typical, the karaoke jockey kept me updated, saying an entire table wanted to sing. he knew I am a regular at this venue. I noticed some of them had the same shirt on, it was blue and said 'sister act' on the front, and a name on the back, likely the role they played. he said they were part of a theater troupe, and I learn this all the time how a show is often best known as a movie, but it can be done as a play as well. especially in a metro area such as the twin cities that has plenty of live theater venues. it wasn't the regular jockey, but I did see her there at the bar, and she went up to sing at one point. when I arrived there was plenty of cheering for a petite lady singing 'at last' by etta james.

rapid fire karaoke

I got around a little later than I really wanted to for singing karaoke tonight. there were some things I wanted to get done before I ventured out. when we got near the end of the time allotment, one hour left, the karaoke jockey said it would be 'rapid fire', meaning one would get skipped if not available when called. I did one song, 'perfect' by pink, as I heard it at the county fair recently. I changed my seat so I could more easily make it to the microphone when called. it was a little crowded in the back room of this bar, and in a different room than in previous weeks. it explained why I went to a different part of the bar to get a beer as there was no bartender on duty in this room. I am used to some songs being popular at karaoke venues, tonight I heard some of them. this includes 'wagon wheel' and 'say it ain't so'. I had heard the former last night as well.
   I had the interview with a bank in the afternoon. I am thankful I did a 'dry run' in the morning to avoid making any wrong turns when it counted. but it still was stop and go driving on the way there as I didn't take the interstate most of the way. the interview lasted about 30 minutes. it is hard to predict the result though, even though this is work that I have done before.
   in the evening I saw some more activity on facebook. I found a photo from me performing nearly 3 years ago and shared it. another photo, from performing last month, was tagged. I got some likes when I did this. I also went to the fringe festival website to sign up for volunteer shifts. I am doing four, all in the same day. this is the number of shows that have people I know in the cast. I knew my orientation session is coming up, in two days, so I wanted this out of the way in case I am given the free tickets while there. it would be easier than having to go back later on. I knew well enough to put things in my favor, and all volunteer sessions are at the same venue, so no need for overwork of course once I get there. with shows I want to see, the logistics should be no big deal. there are three I want to see in the same day, but I have a long break between show one and two. show four I will likely have to wait and see on the second weekend.

america looks at baseball

I went to the cheapo records store on snelling in st. paul this afternoon and I bought two pearl jam CDs there. it was 'back spacer' and 'lost dogs'. I also like looking at the postcards next to the cashier, and got one of those as well. on the back it says 'America looks at baseball', from the American folk art museum in new York. there are two images, one is a catcher and the other has a bat in his hand.
   I went to four events, starting in the early evening. the first two were food events. an agency I had registered with had an after-hours work event, I showed up and got two slices of pizza along with a bag of lay's BBQ potato chips and a small bottle of water. I left without saying a word to anyone as I had already been told this week there wasn't anything for me. a man bringing out more pizza said 'hi there' as I was leaving. the next was an organization I had joined, it was moved indoors as it was known earlier in the week how there would be rain in the forecast. it was some of the typical picnic fare, such as cole slaw and baked beans and BBQ pork. I also had a 'rapper cookie'- my favorite rapper is Eminem, so do the math on what kind of cookie. I said I needed to leave before the end of the time allotment, midway through the two-hour event. this may have explained why I was moved up on introducing myself. I knew a few of the people there, and I was fine with largely keeping to myself as 'familiarity breeds contempt' applies to some of those I know.
   the next two were related to performing. a comedy contest was happening at a micro-brewery. the event coordinator was a fill-in, the 'extra murder' comic, as happy meal is on vacation in Ireland. found out I didn't make the list this week, but there was a facebook message asking if I am available next week, and I am. it was great seeing the button there as usual. I talked some about the job interview I am preparing for that is Friday, with a bank. and how I was headed to the karaoke bar tonight. but I knew I had some time to fill before they began for the night, and decided to go to the area around st. Anthony main movie theater. I love the view there of the river, bridge, and skyline. it was packed at the karaoke bar, so I was fine with doing just one song. I did 'Tennessee flat top box' by Roseanne cash as I had heard it on my car radio. in the book it was only listed under her, although johnny cash, her dad, also performed it. I liked finding a YouTube video of johnny's version.

food burn

I got a food burn when having a chicken pot pie this evening, this surprised me as I eat them all the time. I noticed the pain didn't go away from my lip, and I checked the mirror and noticed the burn had ripped off some skin. so of course air is the enemy, and it meant covering it up. that meant getting questions about it when performing tonight, and making it part of my act. when one is a performer it is hard to hide any injuries. it wasn't all that hard to drink a beer though, just use the other side of my mouth.
   it was a night influenced by pearl jam music. the show runner asked what song I wanted as my 'walk-up music' and I was presented with 'yellow ledbetter'. I said it was one of my 6 favorite music acts. then later on another performer heard me talk about favorite pearl jam song, and how a longtime friend is seeing them in concert at Wrigley field in Chicago this summer. this led to me being encouraged to sing at the end of the show, 'immortality'. from his smartphone, while he played the music. guess he couldn't sing well tonight. I spoke of the band being a big part of the soundtrack to my college days in iowa city, although it was hard to out my finger upon song titles from 'vitalogy' at first. I had a much easier time naming ones from ten, and vs. he guessed the one I was thinking of, and when I got home I looked up the album and was reminded of how two others from it were really good. this was 'nothingman' and 'corduroy', the latter being the opening song at the first of two times I saw them in concert at alpine valley, Wisconsin. I said 'this isn't my karaoke night', but of course I liked singing it. the same dude I could tell was trying to have fun with me as he kept asking about the food burn. hopefully the food burn won't last long.
   this morning I got an email, inviting me to an interview Friday afternoon. so now it means preparing for it, but I think I will be fine. I printed a few things at the library in the afternoon, such as the job description. I also spent time on the phone with agencies, but it proved to be fruitless. and I got a charlie brown book ordered on amazon, using some gift card money from answering surveys. a performer from last week's show inspired me to do so, and I said so when I arrived tonight.

unidentified woman

I went to perform tonight and I enjoyed talking to the crow, and with a newer comic. but I as usual have a hard time remembering to ask for a name. so when I said it inspired a bit to do onstage, that it was an 'unidentified woman' although I found out her name when the MC, 'extra murder' comic, called it as she went on earlier in the show than I did. after the show she said she liked me using this term. I wanted to stay true to the story, that is why I told it that way. I was also ducking out every so often from the show room so I could watch some of the baseball all-star game. looks like it went into extra innings, but the American league won it. I did see more than one solo home run hit. It is a reminder of wanting to visit Washington, DC, again, since I haven't been there in 9 years, but I am unsure at this point as to when it will be possible. I also liked happy meal doing a joke about a Minneapolis landmark.
   I went to another job fair this afternoon, there may be some good leads from it. although as usual many of the companies represented there would not be a good fit for me as I am looking for office work. but I did like seeing little candy bars available from pearson company, the makers of the salted nut roll. I also got annoyed with one agency that sent me a voicemail, email, and text messages about a position, then got impatient with me when they asked for an updated resume. even though they didn't wait very long to call me back. this was not an agency at the job fair. it is too much like others I have seen before, never met them and they claim they found my resume on a job website. I was ready to say 'not interested' and have done this before. I know I did when one agency called and left 4 voicemails in an hour, not giving me much of a chance to respond. one needs standards about proper conduct. or as I have said before, it got easier for me to say 'I have had enough'.

switching mid-song

the open-mic at another venue was canceled at the last minute apparently, so I went to do some karaoke. I did 3 songs, and switched screens mid-song as the TV screen closest to the mike was rolling. this was the second song, 'no sleep til brooklyn' by the beastie boys. the first one was 'the longest time' by billy joel. and the third was 'confident' by demi Lovato. the first two I had heard recently, the billy joel selection was at the twins game over the weekend. and 'brooklyn' was on my car radio. I like saying 'no sleep til schaumburg' as it was a song that got me home after driving up to Milwaukee for baseball games when I lived in suburban Chicago many years ago. I know I had written about the demi selection before.
   there was a back-to-work meeting this afternoon, but I was bored as it was just more paperwork. it's out of the way now, but the job searching, at least through them anyway, is not until next week's appointment. I did some shredding of junk mail this morning, but there is still some left as it shuts off after it is used for a while.

whatever it is

I went to two events today, sometimes I am double-booked. the lid-lifter was the bastille day event in downtown st. paul, sponsored by the local French alliance. the nightcap, although not in the evening, was the ramsey county fair in Maplewood. between the two I saw somebody I knew, Belarus native, who was getting ready to go to the event I had just left. I was almost back at my car when I spotted him. I asked if I knew him, then his name, he said 'maybe'. I knew it was him because of his 'tiger' shirt underneath. I think he was doing his typical 'free hugs' thing. I had seen it before, such as when I was leaving a Minnesota gopher football game before. he was spotted by somebody that knew him, and I had to say 'whatever it is, I don't own one' about what they were riding. it wasn't a bicycle.
    after the second event, I went to the library to print things, and saw the owner at the laundromat. then in the evening I was smiling a lot when looking in the mirror, not sure why.
    at the lid-lifter, I got a gift card for one store that I had seen at MSP airport before. I liked their postcards, archival black-and-white images. I was thirsty by the time I got to the county fair and it was a hot day so I got a bottle of water shortly after I arrived. I found free parking near the event, which was nice. I got some ice cream as well, plenty of flavors available and I got pineapple. I looked around at the art building but there wasn't much that was of interest to me this year. although I liked a few displays at the 4-h building. I didn't look inside at all in the only animal exhibit, the petting zoo.

unwritten, natasha bedingfield

i sang the song 'unwritten' by natasha Bedingfield at a karaoke bar tonight. I was inspired to do so after finding it as the background music in two different youtube videos. the video takes place in an elevator, showing people getting in and out. then at times the scenery switches to being outside. at one point outside, people are enjoying getting wet. there is also a gospel choir. I really liked the lyrics to it, had to look them up of course. with a song title like 'unwritten' it would increase the odds that I would like it. since I started to write much more often, however, one lyric applies to me less. 'staring at the blank page before you'. I can usually think of something to write, so the page isn't blank for long. I do feel that the act of writing helps me 'release my inhibitions', another lyric I liked. and performing does as well. the scenes when they are getting wet make sense, with one lyric being 'feel the rain on your skin'. but I have seen this before in music, when they know how to do the videos to match the words. this was no doubt true in an alanis morissette video, 'hand in my pocket'. I know at times I still get upset about disappointments in my life, but I also know well enough after a while to keep trying. so the other profound lyric, 'the rest is still unwritten', explains what keeps me going.
   I went to the twins game this afternoon. this was the university of iowa alumni event, I have attended it before. we met at a bar near the stadium. I took the light rail to get there. and this is where the fun starts. I am not used to seeing a transit employee at the station, but there was this time. I was getting annoyed that the employee was helping me and I didn't ask for it. usually I can figure things out without much fanfare, and without somebody hovering over me. I was adding value to my fare card. on the ride to the stadium there was a young man listening to music on his phone and he said 'i should have gotten off at this stop, I saw my homeboy'. but he didn't, and also not at the next stop either. the stop after that was the end of the line, the twins stadium. I liked how the event coordinator gave me a number to call with the university that may help me with getting back to work. as usual, there was pushback. I said I never joined a greek house and I was told I didn't have to be to get help from them. I need all the help I can get as going it alone with job searching is in no way a level playing field. but I have felt like that I have no choice when I don't have the same network to consult as others do. the twins game was a good one for a while, twins led 6-4 at the end of the 6th, but the twins lost to tampa bay 19-6. it was my third twins game of the season, but right now I have no other plans to see any more. I like seeing the saints more.

atm wasn't first

I made a visit to a nearby holiday gas station tonight but the ATM wasn't the first stop I made. so when I presented the paper and an ice cream sandwich I realized I still needed to get to the ATM. it meant some other customers were waited on, then I got back in line. Not sure what caused me to miss this step, I guess we sometimes have these lapses when we are in a rush.
    I stayed in for much of the day, and read quite a bit. I also saw some activity related to applications from the previous day, asking me to complete the self-identify affirmative action form. but I usually decline to identify as I want my application to be judged on its own merits. there was also a request to complete an assessment, looked like it was call-center related. I will wait a little before doing it. I prefer doing this kind of thing at the library where I am more comfortable. and I also know if it is a call center job I would be less interested in it. but at this point I know the best thing to do is do what I need to in order to become eligible and leave the tougher decisions later on. the proverbial 'cross the bridge when we get to it'.
   I went to perform at a karaoke bar after going to the gas station, and did two songs. it was 'basket case; by green day, and 'alejandro' by lady gaga. the crowd really liked me doing the latter. I know I had done the former, but it had been a while.

bird and statue

I went to a job fair in Shakopee before midday. there were a few companies at this event that look promising. although the lasting impression was from somebody I didn't talk to about jobs at all, I think he represented a hotel. he used a saying I wasn't familiar with, but I said it sounded like a variation. 'sometimes you're the statue, sometimes you're the bird crapping on the statue'. after I drove home I planned on going inside right away to have lunch. but my phone rang and it was from an agency I had spoke with on an earlier day. even though I know it is best to stay hopeful, I have seen how agencies haven't been that helpful in the end. I think this is why it is a good idea to keep applying directly to companies, and I started doing so with one company this afternoon, 15 separate positions.
    I really didn't feel like going out to perform tonight, but I did anyway. I was watching videos on youtube for a while. and there was hard rain during the 6pm news. I went to the karaoke bar and did 2 songs. it was 'i am all right' by Kenny loggins, and 'my city was gone' by the pretenders. I said something to the man in charge of karaoke how I didn't see the normal Thursday crowd of people I knew, three in particular. he said he could contact the harmonica guy. a lady that is a regular showed up after I did, and sang for her friend who is having a 60th birthday. it was 'dancing queen' by abba.

one trick pony

I performed at an open-mic tonight and I saw somebody for the first time in a while, he performed later on in the show. after the show I spoke about my performing style, and said 'i didn't want to be a one-trick pony'. and I think this man asked a question about it but was trying to hard to be funny as I said I don't have a pony. it was hard to find anything definite online as to the origin of the term, but it is understood to be a lot like 'one-hit wonder' or 'one-dimensional'. it was the first time that I had been outside all day. I liked how another performer brought a charlie brown book for me to look at, it was a 25th anniversary book and there was something in it about Charles schulz being grand marshal of the rose bowl parade in 1974. so I got a picture of the cover of the book and will see if I can find it online somewhere, looking at amazon first of course.
   it is hard to say how much progress I made on job searching today. I made plenty of calls in the afternoon and mostly got voicemail. I got one response, but was told we were still waiting to hear anything about it from the client. so I really don't know if saying I am 'laying the groundwork' applies at all as it will be a while to see if it yields anything. still looks like there are plenty of call center jobs available, but I know I would be happier doing other things.
   two items were in the mail today. one was a book that my dad sent me, 'Friday night lights', about high school football in texas. the other was the license plate renewal stickers, applied for online over a week ago. I would have acquired them in person but of course I was out of town at the end of the month, and forgot to get them any earlier as I got too busy. I had a note in the back of my car saying 'plate renewal applied for' and I liked being able to take that down. I put them on before I went to perform.

collapse the speaker legs

I was willing to help out after the open-mic was done tonight, and found out one thing I could do is collapse the legs after the speaker was taken down. I said it reminded me of family dinners where we would put a 'leaf'' in a table to make it longer, then have to take it out later on. I said it was hard to deal with waiting a while for the show to start as a corporate party was happening in the back of the venue. I ended up getting annoyed with three comics while waiting for the show to start, since some of them just wanted to workshop jokes and I don't want to 'talk shop' at all. I am anything but one-dimensional. make it four, as I got annoyed near the end of the show as somebody was trying to jump into a conversation while I was talking to 63 brawler. I paid a dollar for parking nearby on the street, and it got me four hours. I ended up using most of that time due to the waiting, and of course how long a show can last. I was on near the end of it.
   the agency I had met with the previous day asked me to complete some clerical tests, typing and data entry, and I did so in the afternoon. I also got a little better organized, putting tourist items in the super bowl souvenir bag. and items related to searching for work were put into another one. I even found some printed articles about the history of the hamm's beer building in downtown st. paul from 2016, and got them into sheet protectors in one of my binders. while I went out to get some toilet paper at the dollar store I saw an old friend at the bus stop. it was the attorney, and I was asked how it was going. I said 'not well', but I am still trying. this was somebody I rode the bus with until I was laid off in October. and it was somebody I had thought about every so often since, as I enjoyed our conversations. I also went to the grocery store and bought a few more food items. it has been warm and I have been drinking plenty of fluids, and noticed I was running low on milk. also got some cans of soup, and some frozen dinners.

cake by the ocean, DNCE

I saw a facebook posting from my college roommate, who is currently working in japan, and he said he heard a song while having lunch. it was 'cake by the ocean' by DNCE. I said I would have to look it up, and found it on youtube. when I played it I said it sounded familiar, just hadn't heard it in a while. the video does show a big piece of cake, and eventually this becomes part of a 'food fight'.
   I did my best as usual to stay busy while 'on vacation'. it meant having a meeting with a temp agency in the afternoon. it was in shoreview, same building where I had an interview back in October. I am hopeful to hear more soon, but was told she would have to call my references first and I said I have had better luck finding the senior leaders than the direct supervisors I have had. I also sent applications to an agency I had an appointment with last week. the waiting is the hardest part for all of these leads I am chasing.
   I got smarter about stage time tonight and signed up in advance through the facebook event invite for an open-mic. I also spoke with a comic who said he was a musician. I recognized his name as he had sent me a facebook friend request. I said I would add him soon know that I know 'who you are', meaning I had met them in person. I said the same to another comic, as it helps to be able to connect faces with names.

state fair play, rosetown

I saw the play 'state fair' at como park in st. paul this afternoon. it was done by rosetown playhouse. I arrived just as it was getting started, had to make three attempts to find parking. some parts of the play I liked more than others. the love stories didn't do much for me, as I am anything but a romantic, especially when I have been unlucky in love many times. it was hard to ignore things like birds flying in and out of the pavilion during the show, as well as microphone problems. it made sense to have some fake animals though, such as a snake, as well as blue boy the pig. I had seen one of the movie versions before, and I recalled the song well. 'our state fair is a great state fair, don't miss it don't even be late'. only thing I had there was water. after the play I went to a super-America and had a bag of potato chips. before the play I watched a DVD I recently bought, it was 'invincible', the football movie starring marky mark, about vince papale. after the paly I wasn't home for long, as I wanted to perform at an open-mic in uptown Minneapolis. according to the show-runner, resistable comic, it will be ending soon, in two weeks. I spoke of likely being a volunteer for fringe festival again, since it is starting soon, in a month. I like getting in free to shows that friends are doing, and I found out I can attend four of them on the same day. I got a response from a performer on twitter and found out she is in a show this year, will have to see how it fits my schedule. I got the dishes and recycle done a little early this evening so I could watch the 10pm news and be laying down in my easy chair.

catcher was a spy movie

i saw the movie 'catcher was a spy' in oakdale this afternoon. paul rudd played the lead role, moe berg. I recognized another actor in it and the credits said it was jeff daniels, playing his boss. seeing it was delayed for a while. two weeks ago I didn't make it in time for the start, and last week I was out of town. but I am thankful I saw it, as it had two big interests of mine: baseball and history. although there weren't many baseball scenes in it. I had heard about moe berg before, in reference to being part of a baseball tour in japan before the war since he did some filming in japan. I am the type that likes to stay for the closing credits, to see where movies get filmed. looks like much of it was filmed in the Czech republic, also some mention of Vienna, Austria.
   I got a lot done today. before the movie I went to an ice cream social at the keys café in woodbury, free cake and ice cream. also got a DVD at a nearby store, 'the program', which will replace another VHS tape. after the movie I went to the grocery store, and watched some baseball on TV, Fox, red sox and royals. but only for an inning and a half, as I had more to do.
   it meant going to get stage time at two different shows. both were open-mics, the first I hadn't been to in a while but I knew there were some extra shows this weekend. I got 3 minutes, and two people I knew were running the show. one of them was from Wisconsin, the other I did a fringe show with. the second was a once-a-month show, and this month it was a potluck and I brought a vegetable tray to get a few more minutes of stage time. I popped over to the cub foods in Roseville after the first show to get it. I liked the chicken served at the second show. although I was tired near the end, I managed to last through the show but didn't stay long after it was done. I knew I was lucid enough, as I was able to recognize an edit piaf song as I was driving home, that was playing on my car radio.

get the smaller basket

I was at a Walgreen picking up a few things this afternoon after being at the library for a while. I saw a basket but said I didn't like it, too big for my needs. then I saw the smaller basket nearby, and decided to get that one instead. I applied for more jobs online and signed up for some websites that inform people about freelance writing jobs. my friend in Houston gave me those recommendations, and when I followed up on them I said one of them asked for a photo and to create my own profile.
   in the evening I went to the comedy club and did a guest set. I had opened for this comic last year as well, it gave me the confidence to ask again. I didn't know the MC or middle performers, but they had some jokes I liked. one did a 'feet hurt' joke, the other about walleye. I didn't know the man who had a camera with a big lens but we spoke after the show. he was sitting near me in the back before I went to perform. a woman who was likely a club employee said she missed my set, but encouraged me to ask for more stage time at this venue. I told the headliner it was the least I could do to tell my best jokes, I was given 5 minutes. it included ones about taco bell, and burlesque.

unplugged pac-man game

i went to a karaoke bar to perform tonight and another patron noticed the same thing that I did- the pac-man game where I often sit in the back was unplugged. he wanted to play it, I said ask an employee about it. I said I was waiting for my turn to sing, and it took a little while for the second song. I sang 'every rose has its thorn' by poison, and 'iko iko' by the belle stars. I had heard the former on the radio on the way to the venue, and the latter I had heard while watching the movie 'rain man' on TV, a favorite movie of mine. before then I stayed to watch a comedy show and inquired about stage time in the near future.
   this morning I had a meeting with a temp agency, and hopefully I will have some offers to review soon. I also went to the library and applied for more jobs. and I spent some time typing up a letter to a friend that lives in st. louis. I said I would send one after visiting my native state, iowa, and I did that over the weekend of course. in addition, the postcard I sent to myself arrived. the rest of the day's mail was junk.

2006 world series DVD

over the weekend I found a DVD about the 2006 world series at a gas station. since the st. louis cardinals won it I said I wanted it. since it is the 4th of july holiday I knew I had more time today to watch it. I did so in the evening. this was the year where the cardinals just barely made the playoffs, winning the division despite losing a lot down the stretch. they beat Detroit 4 games to 1 in the series. this was the year that started with me going to spring training in florida, since the cardinals and twins train there. I haven't been to spring training since, but at least I have been there once. since this was over a decade ago, I had to be reminded of the player movements since then. Fernando Rodney was a pitcher for Detroit then, and is now with the Minnesota twins. the cardinals don't have that many players left from that team, aside from Molina and wainwright. I also liked some of the bonus features on it, such as 'this week in baseball' from 1991, as it had the two managers in that segment- jim Leyland and tony larussa. another was the final out from the 1982 world series. yet another was actor billy bob thornton, the narrator, talking cardinals baseball. he is from Arkansas, and that is part of the region where many are cardinal fans.
   I stayed in for a while as it was raining, and did some writing in the afternoon. I ventured out in the late afternoon, after checking the weather report to find out when there was a break from the rain. I went to an event at a park in Roseville, I had been there before on the 4th of july. I looked around for about 30 minutes, bought an ice cream sandwich, and left. there was a street preacher in the parking lot near the entrance, I have learned to ignore them. I said to somebody as I was leaving how I see religious zealots at these kinds of events all the time, such as when I go to the jesse james festival in  northfield. I went home and had dinner, and shortly after I finished watching the video, I ventured out in hopes of finding stage time. I got a look at the venue's parking lot and said 'this looks problematic' and there was a man with a flag, meaning there was a parking fee for the nearby event, the fireworks show near downtown Minneapolis. so I said 'i need to get out' and I left. as usual, one doesn't need to try very hard to see fireworks on this holiday. while I was driving around I saw plenty of them off in the distance. there were some people with their blinkers on, near an exit on 35W, which told me they might be just watching the fireworks from their cars. so it was all right with me on how the evening unfolded, there are worse ways for a loner to occupy the evening.

dented pudding cup

I finally got around to my weekly grocery store run, since there were no appointments today. I noticed I chose a pack of four pudding cups and one of them was 'dented'. not a big deal to me, and it was hard to notice at first when I prefer to get in and out quick. in many ways it is symbolic, where I know what it is like to be dented as well. and I am the type that will say 'it needs me' since I would expect most people to say they wouldn't want it when it is damaged goods.
   I made a lot of calls about jobs, but right before a holiday there wasn't much to be found. it meant sending an updated resume to a few agencies. one agency left a voicemail, same one I had an appointment with the previous day. it was the branch manager, saying they won't represent me. even though the reasons they gave weren't true, saying things like I was hostile at the interview they sent me on six months ago. and some of it was reported by somebody that no longer works for them. so I told them to take me off their email list, as the branch manager's name was on the email I got last week saying there were jobs available. it was why I had scheduled the appointment. you live, you learn. and I have no choice to move on. somebody will want me.
   I went to two performance venues tonight. I signed up for the wild card at the first but wasn't chosen. it was the first time I had been there since super bowl week, 5 months ago. during their contest I didn't want to go as I didn't make the cut and I need to go where there is stage time. I inquired further about stage time while there, so hopefully I will be performing there again soon. I performed at the second venue, near the end of the night. when I saw happy meal I said that he might not enjoy my set that much since I am unemployed again. I recall he said I was a lot calmer when I went back to work. there is an outdoor part of this venue where many comics like to sit, and going there to find people helped me with finding ideas for my set. somebody noticed my shoes, I said I bought them over the weekend and it prompted me to cover what I did over the weekend in iowa. so I am thankful for a little help here as I found enough ideas to avoid it being all about ranting on being out of work. I heard some comics wanting to a bit about the holiday, since it is a day before the 4th of july. so I told myself I can do this, as it reminded me of living in  suburban Chicago and somebody got it wrong about why we celebrate the holiday. sub teacher was on after me and I said hopefully he liked that one. he gave me a shout-out and said I didn't take a breath during my set. it is nice to hear the perspective of others.

more keystrokes wanted

I had two appointments today, the second was with a temp agency. I did some online tests there and met with somebody as well about what my career interests are. then when I get home I have a voicemail stating they want me to retake a data entry test. I guess they wanted more keystrokes. I did re-take it, but got fewer keystrokes and lower accuracy as well.
   the first appointment was to see my file at the test scoring place in woodbury. there was four of the five evaluations of the projects I had done. I looked through all of it, even the copies of my degree. none of it really surprised me much in terms of what a team lead or scoring director said about me. I am quiet and efficient with my work.
   due to these two appointments, it meant there was less time for other things such as the chores and errand running left over from the weekend. so grocery shopping has to wait. I made it to the st. paul saints baseball game in the evening, but the saints lost to fargo-moorhead 4-0. the saints had the bases loaded twice, but just couldn't score. there was food trucks and fireworks after the game, the last song during the fireworks was 'party in the USA' by miley cyrus. I walked around for the first four innings, not wanting to have too much exposure to the sun. I was ready to sit down by then.

completion of suspended game

I began the day at my hotel in Ankeny, iowa, and had continental breakfast. normally this would mean I did little else but get on the road back home. but there was unfinished business. I checked out of the hotel and then headed for my hometown of newton. I found a shoe store near the Hy-Vee and got shoes and socks. I knew mine from last night were no good until they dry out. I didn't stay in newton for long but still found maytag park and emerson hough school after turning in pop cans at the Hy-Vee and then getting a candy bar. I dropped a postcard to myself in the mail there as well.
   I saw the completion of the suspended iowa cubs game from the night before. Memphis won 13-2, then I left for home. according to what I found online, Memphis won the regularly scheduled game as well, 6-1. the news of the flash flooding in des moines was mentioned on WCCO when I got back, do it was a big deal. I spoke of it a little when I was returning the rental car. I will probably not rent from them again as I prefer a place that is at the airport and it is off-site.