leave it at the door

I went to a job fair in Stillwater and when I arrived I said I had been through a lot in my job searching. there was somebody near the entrance if anyone needed help, when she heard my story she advised me to leave it at the door. I think this sentiment helped on some level, but another thing that did was how it was a new job fair for me. the other ones- in Shakopee, Burnsville, and west st. paul- were often the same companies each time. but not this one. I went there in the afternoon, my second appointment of the day. one of them that sounds promising is the census bureau. I tried to apply tonight but they wanted my selective service registration number, and I couldn't find it. I tried to call the number I was given, eventually I got a recording saying they were closed for the day. they told me it would give me a leg up on more long-term positions with the federal government. so I didn't like having hit a snag but I would like to think I can get past it.
    the appointment this morning was brief, and it leads to more waiting as to of the client is interested in bringing me in for an in-person interview. after it I went to the library and printed some things, including some of the instructions for property tax refunds. then it was time for lunch, so went home and had some spaghetti. then it was time to leave for the second appointment, but I had to stop at another library first in order to print more resume copies, then it was on to Stillwater. the third was also a job fair, but just one company. I had been to their job fair before, but it had been a while. I met with the same HR rep as before. I said it was a younger woman with a rare name, and another employee gave me the name and I said it sounded familiar.
    I performed in the evening, there was a different show runner than typical. I spoke with the bob marley look-alike after the show. I went to get another picture of a charlie brown statue at a nearby bar. I liked hearing 'rainbow' by Kacey Musgraves from the speakers so I stayed outside the bar until the song was done, then went back to my car. 

spray and pray

I went back to filing more applications on indeed, since I had more time for it today compared to Monday. the term I saw for it was 'spray and pray'. and I know it hasn't been too effective yet. surprised me a little to get a request for a phone interview right away, and I did it in the afternoon. actually it was called a 'phone screen'. and at times I was also on the phone a lot following up with some organizations. one of them was an agency I saw at a job fair last week, I had registered with them a while back. it led to me completing yet another form related to background checks, my 6th. one of them I heard from for the first time, after leaving my resume at the same job fair. I was on the other line when they called, and responded when able. I have an appointment for the next morning. I liked what they were saying about a position that is insurance related, but at one point what I was saying was misunderstood so I said 'I misspoke' even though I hadn't. I said I didn't want to be overly picky. Wednesday will be a busier day, as I registered for two job fairs in the afternoon.
   in the evening I went to perform, and I was the last one onstage. I saw the floutist but she did not perform. after the show ended she said her flute needed some parts. she can also play piano, but this can be hard to do at some mics unless it is already at the venue. since the floor space can be limited. there was a big crowd for a concert at a nearby venue, so I took a different route than typical when I was headed home. 

yikes and move on

when I was out and about this afternoon I saw some art spray painted on the pavement. it said 'yikes and move on'. this was when I decided to look around after picking up items related to being a volunteer at the Minnesota fringe festival. I like the area as it is in the former grain belt brewery complex. sometimes this sentiment might be the best game plan.
   this was a day of getting caught up after being out of town for the weekend. it meant doing dishes as well as going to the grocery store. it didn't take long to clear the backlog of online survey emails as I sometimes got a 'no surveys available' message when clicking on them. some of them might have a limited shelf life, it is why I try to do them right away, or at least within 24 hours. but I tend to be busier while traveling so it has to wait. I probably could have done more about job searching, aside from contact an agency about a job mentioned late last week. I got a response saying it had been canceled, bummer. there was also going to the bank to deal with some issues on my account.
  as usual, I performed in the evening and it was enjoyable being at the comedy club. turtle check was right before me and brawler was right after me. I mostly spoke about being in st. louis over the weekend but also brought back a bit about internet dating. I also decided to do the 'ring of honor' photo with the pizza philosopher. it was why I stayed longer than typical after the show was over. but I liked hearing the stories being told by other comics.

guatemala coin

while in town I found a coin from Guatemala, 50 centavos, on the pavement near the hotel. I began the morning at the hotel, then ate at a waffle house. I went to the cardinals baseball game in the afternoon, they lost to Houston 6-2. flight home was delayed, we arrived an hour late, not a big deal to me. when I got back it was the typical 'dirty clothes and cheap souvenirs' in my bag. it was nice that there was no postal mail to me. but I was out of town for just 48 hours.

civil war museum, jefferson barracks

I wanted to see a museum while in town, and chose the complex at Jefferson barracks. there is a civil war museum there, in the former PX building. I made it to the cardinals baseball game in the evening, they lost to Houston 8-2. after the game I found a karaoke venue in st. Charles, and sang 'the middle' by jimmy eat world. 

memory card adaptor

I went to Walgreen to get ready for going out of town this weekend. one thing was to get a memory card for my camera. I chose one with an adaptor this time, and had to be shown how to place the chip inside of it. there was plenty of little things I wanted to do before leaving town. in the morning it was another meeting with an agency. and of course more waiting.

too animated?

I went to another job fair, this one in the early afternoon. there was two in different towns today, but of course I had to wait for my car to be out of the shop so I didn't go to the first one. I might have been too animated with one agency at the job fair. it was about how I hadn't heard from them in a while about jobs, and what this rep was telling me ran counter to what I was told about the jobs available with them. I had been told not to apply online, but to call them. it is hard for me at times to hide how disgusted  and frustrated I get with the process when it doesn't make sense. so I actually danced around a little about it. I was given a business card but when the conversation devolved I wanted to give it back, but couldn't find it in my organizer at first. but eventually I found a table where I could more easily look for it, then I went to give it back. when I have a feeling that it is not going to happen, no need to keep the card. it was also why I didn't sign in on a sheet with the agency, or give my name when we shook hands. when he said 'and you are', I said 'not amused'.
   I had hoped to finish my time at the job fair early enough where I could drive home and have a phone interview there. but when I got out of the fair I noticed it was just under 10 minutes prior, not enough time. so I looked at my information a little inside, then went to have the call in my car. I said I had seen their company represented at the job fair, but the reps there only knew about security positions and that is not what I was interviewing for. I would like to think it went well, but it is still the waiting game in terms of hearing more next week about a possible in-person interview. late in the afternoon I went to the library to print things, and was called by an agency while there so I found a more appropriate place for the call than at one of the computers. I think it was an offer, but I said I want to confirm first that I am eligible to return to this company. I was sent on an assignment last year, through a different agency, and was cut after a little over a month. so I will wait to hear more from them, after they speak with the boss I had. I have an appointment with yet another agency on Friday morning.
    just before the phone interview, I was at a table next to a defendant who was talking to her attorney. I am aware that this building has various government services, including courtrooms. something about her wanting a continuance, and also wanting to represent herself. but that sounds like an even worse idea than having a public defender! she spoke of being homeless, and uninsured, but I was not sure as to what crime she was charged with. some mention of the sentence would go from one month to one year, an 'aggravated misdemeanor'. so of course it doesn't sound good at all. naturally it sounded like the conversation wasn't going well, for various reasons. I liked how I could silently observe what was happening and nobody asked me to move.
   oh, and there was two more calls placed about the event ticket that was ordered for me. after a while I was informed by my friend's assistant that the will-call number would be supplied to me to confirm everything is in order. it is sad that I continued to hear different things each time I called. but I would like to think it will end, in a positive fashion, real soon.
   I also sang some karaoke. it was 'land of confusion' by genesis. it was nice to see the harmonica guy as well, he did 'crippled inside'.

conflicting information

I made three calls to a ticket office about an order that was placed for me, and I kept getting conflicting information. so I would report back to my friend as to what they were telling me. I was also getting emails from his assistant about it. so I am not sure at this point as to where it stands.
   I got the calls in between other things I needed to get done. this included going to a job fair, in Burnsville. my first visit there in a while. a casino said there was a job open in my area of interest, but when I checked the website after getting home I couldn't find it. sounds like the phone interview from the previous day yielded nothing. I got a response from the agency and there was more questions to ask. I had to say I had no experience in the areas of mortgage work they were looking for, specifically working with deeds. as I was driving back from the job fair, I noticed the steering was too stiff so I put my car in the shop. it was a busy day for them and I was told it would not be finished by the end of the day. so it meant finding another way to the performance venue in the evening. I got on the bus, and I checked the schedule in advance and the line ended before 10pm so I had to allow for it when I wanted to get home. it was a light lineup so I decided to walk over to the bus stop shortly after my set was done and caught the last bus home for the night.
   I had hoped to see an advisor at the job fair, and when I did not I was told to call the number on the business card I was given. this was near the end of the fair, around midday. we hadn't spoken in a while, I had some to say about where I was working but of course I didn't like having to be attending job fairs again. I was advised to use a certificate I was given on applying for jobs with the state government, even though I quit the program I got it from. I also followed up on interviews from last week, still waiting to hear more about them.

outdoor hiring party

early in the evening I went to a job fair that was called a 'hiring party' at a car dealer. there was food and I arrived near the end of the 4-hour event. I had a burger as there was no buns left, at least as far as I could see, for the hot dogs. I went to the first dealer I saw, but noticed a different house number. so I was advised that it was two blocks down the road, I kept my car parked and made a brisk walk down to it. I did meet with a recruiter, before I had finished my food. I liked how I still met with someone even after I applied and was turned down by email this week. I was told there was nothing in my field at this time but there may be openings later on. it would be at the home office and not at one of the dealerships.
   this wasn't the only thing I did on the job front. in the morning I had a phone interview. I called some agencies I hadn't heard from in a while and it sounded promising with one of them. but when I called late in the afternoon I was told I was essentially 'blacklisted' from a company I had already worked for. I was told I was lied to when the assignment ended, even though I did nothing wrong while working there. it makes no sense to me. there were a few other calls throughout the day, one of them arrived while at the library so I paused the computer while I walked to a better place to take the call. then there was another call as I was in my car about to leave the library. so I shut off the engine and took the call from my car. it is hard to say what will become of all of it, but the former led to scheduling a phone interview for Thursday afternoon. I signed up for a job fair for Wednesday morning as well. and I completed some online assessments, one of the three was checking addresses to see if they match. but I am not sure what company sent them. but it looks like I had done some of these with this same testing company in January, as I checked the history when I logged in.
   I performed in the evening, after getting back from the hiring event. it was a light crowd and I went on shortly after arriving, was told it hadn't started yet. usually it has started by the time of my arrival. there was a kid with some candy on a stick next to the DJ, or sound guy, during my set.

pro wrestling stepladder

i went to a pop-up comedy show tonight, it was in the same place as a mic I once frequented. before the show started, and near the bar, was pro wrestling on TV. I kept seeing both wrestlers try to climb on a stepladder, only to see the other one pull them down. not sure how it ended, as it was changed to another channel after a while. opera singer was the show runner. I liked seeing turtle check as well, first time in a while. he shared some stories about being a restaurant server and bartender. it was a good crowd, got plenty of laughs. after the show I went to a nearby Walgreen and got some pringles as well as reese's peanut butter. then it was on to the next venue, the typical one for this day of the week. I referenced an indigo girls song at the start of the set at the second show. a man was in the back asking about the show, I said to find the show runner if he wanted stage time but he said he just wanted to watch the show.
    much like before, still hard to say what progress, if any, was made on the job front. I went to a hiring event but it was a place I had already worked at, and they were only hiring for the role I had already done. so I wasn't there for long, I got some business cards, a donut, and I left. in the afternoon I had a phone interview, for something I had applied to on indeed more than two weeks ago. the request for the phone interview arrived as I was heading out for the hiring event, but I told them the afternoon was wide open. I have another phone interview for Tuesday morning, as well as another hiring event to attend. later on in the week are more job fairs to attend. I also filed some more applications on indeed, and it led to being asked to do more assessments. some of them were not emailed to me until after I left to go performing, so it was late at night by the time I did them. one was related to customer service, various scenarios involved. another was about missing shapes.

baseball VHS tapes

it was a leisurely day and I decided to watch 2 baseball VHS tapes. it meant hooking up the TV that is compatible, as well as the VHS player itself. it was the first time in a while, as my VHS collection is now down to about 50. but I love baseball and wanted to watch these two again. one was about the centennial of the st. louis cardinals, produced in 1992. the other was the sporting news covering the sport in the 1980s. as I recall I got them during the same visit to a resale shop many years ago. it didn't take all that long to get it hooked up, although I am now used to a wide screen TV so it was an adjustment to see a smaller screen again. I watched the cardinal video first. I think this one was on my mind recently for multiple reasons. one of them was seeing the moe berg documentary a week earlier and one of the journalists in it looked familiar from the cardinal video. I was less familiar with the 1980s video but I did recall it having the ups and downs of pete rose in it. a call from the president when he set the national league record for hits, but by the end of the decade he was banned for betting on the game.
   I watched the videos after having lunch. then I took a walk around the neighborhood and found a penny. I laid down for a while after this and it was evening by then. I got up and went to an event to meet my state senator. I liked seeing all of the books there, some of them I had myself such as the one about the Brooklyn dodgers, called 'boys of summer'. another one was called 'earl of louisiana' he said it was about earl long. the painting on display he said was of his great-grandfather, and he told a story of him being a businessman that turned down a chance to have 3M invest in the company. after I got home after being at this event I finished the peanuts from the twins game the night before. it felt like it was too late in the evening to have a 'real' meal.

university of iowa reflections book

i went to a university of iowa alumni event and it started with meeting at a bar near the twins baseball stadium. there was a drawing for door prizes, and I got one of the books. it is called 'university of iowa reflections'. the front flap states it includes more than 160 photos, many never before published. it was published in 2008, the year of flooding on campus, and some of the photos are of the flooding, such as the softball venue on the Coralville strip. this is one section unto its own in the book, one of five. the others were of the four seasons. I recognized many places depicted in it, such as athletic facilities, the old capitol, and hancher auditorium. also the nursing building, where I worked as a janitor to pay my tuition. so I am thankful to have it.
   I had a beer at the bar, and some of the appetizers that were furnished. but of course it also meant making it over to the game! the twins were playing the Oakland A's, and thankfully the weather held up. when I was woke up by a rainstorm this morning, I knew this was in doubt. but it eventually cleared up in the afternoon. the twins led early with 2 solo home runs in the 1st inning, but lost 5-4. the twins were leading with 2 outs in the 9th but couldn't finish it. I liked seeing the event coordinator there, I did some networking about jobs. but some of the others there I found to be annoying. as I was leaving the game I noticed some bags of peanuts were abandoned, I was able to consolidate 4 partial bags into 1 full bag. I hate seeing wasted food and I know I will like eating them.
   this event meant moving up my grocery shopping by a few hours, no big deal. I went there after picking up an e-bay order at the post office, and then printing some things at the library. after the game I took the light rail back to the park and ride, and after a short time at home it was on to the karaoke bar. I did 'jump around' by house of pain. it had been on my list for a while, as expected when it was rap it was hard to keep up but I did fairly well.

rocketman movie

tonight I saw the movie 'rocketman', the bio-pic about musician Elton john. I checked the paper and figured it was time to see it, as the release was diminished since it has been out for over a month. it felt a little long, but I knew the running time would be about 2 hours. I found it to be relatable when his family was depicted, as those relationships were uneasy. but I liked how not too much time was spent on it. performers know well enough to pour it all into their performances. I did not know any of the actors in it, but I knew it was about a british man and the film was produced there. I had heard of dexter fletcher though, who directed it, as he was also involved with 'bohemian rhapsody' a year earlier. I had seen Elton perform in concert, when he was touring with billy joel, in 2001. I was living in suburban Chicago then, and saw the last of 3 sold-out shows.
   this movie inspired by choice of what to sing at the karaoke bar, I chose 'I'm still standing', which is near the end of the movie. another performer spotted me there, I had just seen her perform at an open-mic this week. she asked me to read her set on her phone. she also sang, choosing 'video games' by lana del rey.
    still a busy day on the job front, there was 2 phone interviews and one in-person interview in the middle. the first one didn't last long, after finding out the pay was too low. the middle one was actually two interviews during the same session. I had applied to 3 positions with that company. with the third it sounds like that my applying to it was a mistake. I also heard from an old friend, surprised to hear from them so quickly as I called their office and told they was out. he happened to be on vacation in Colorado and found some time to call, so that was nice.

call during haircut

i decided to do a haircut at sportclips this morning before a job interview. I got there just minutes after they had opened for the day, and this gave me more time. I left my phone on and forgot that I had, and it rang during my time there. I was being called about a job through an agency, and it meant sending another copy of my resume so ensure they would have the most recent one. I had plenty to say at the interview, and the hiring manager used the word 'confidence' when I said 'I am the best candidate'. but I still have to wait to hear anything. there was a phone interview in the afternoon, and the caller said my name a lot. there already are interviews scheduled for Friday and for next week as well. all I can do is giving the consistent message that I am the right choice to be hired and somebody is likely to extend an offer for a decent job. but I still hate the waiting.
   in the evening I did karaoke, one song since it was more crowded than typical. it was 'snoopy vs. the red baron' by the royal guardsmen. as a big charlie brown fan it is a big deal that I waited a while to do this song. the bartender said I looked sad, I spoke of being unemployed. he said something about knowing somebody who started working at a mcdonald's and know runs 2 of them. it wasn't helpful, and I even said it means they have enough money to be a franchisee. I do not. I could have easily said something else such as being tired if I wanted to, not sure why I was so honest with somebody I barely know.

fringe online training

the module for the online training for the Minnesota fringe festival arrived early this evening. it was two different videos, 10 minutes and 3 minutes, and some questions to answer after it. so now I am qualified to be an usher, and I am signed up for four shifts in order to earn enough tickets for six shows. it mostly sounded familiar, not too many changes that I am aware of.
    another busy day on the job front, but that is what I prefer. there was a quick in-person interview this morning, then I went to a hiring event after that. during the drive time to the second event I got a voicemail from an agency, but still haven't heard back from as I was told they have been in meetings for most of the day. I just don't want to miss out on anything, and I know how jobs through an agency can get filled quick. I have two interviews scheduled for Thursday, one in person and the other by phone. then there is another phone interview on Friday. next week I am signed up for hiring events on Monday and Tuesday. all of this points toward how I should be getting an offer really soon, from somebody. I just hate the waiting game.
   I performed this evening, the second one after the MC. hard to hide it so I did talk a little about my job searching early on in my set. one of the transfers from st.cloud was the show closer. some of the crowd from the nearby soccer game showed up to our show, probably once the game ended. one of the performers said the president is in the WWE hall of fame, I looked it up on Wikipedia after the show and confirmed it.

we're not barbarians

I went to an interview this afternoon where the interviewer said 'we're not barbarians' in reference to the holiday schedule, how they do honor the major holidays. it wasn't the first contact with the company, but it was the first job interview. I was informed that they will confer with the other hiring manager and I will hopefully hear something as it has been a week since I was told that my references will be checked. so I am still stuck waiting and hoping to hear something, and still racking up the rejections from earlier interviews. but I also have two more interviews lined up for Wednesday. although one of them was odd, as the call arrived when I was showering, getting ready for an interview, but it was just listed as a 'missed call' and no voicemail was left. so I called them back and I eventually got an email response through indeed. I filed more applications through indeed and through a bank, but I still hate the word 'application' as most of them lead nowhere. it was once again depressing to see the stats in an email saying 2 jobs I applied to from two weeks ago and both of them had at least 50 applicants.
   I performed this evening, and on the way there I saw two cop cars with their lights on speeding to the scene of a car wreck. one of the cars was overturned. I was on near the end, and we were saying farewell to a performer that has done some photography who will be trying his luck in new York city. there was a card to sign. I had some pineapple juice in a glass bottle as there was no Gatorade this time. sometimes it is a simple thing of 'going with what is available'.

kid waving to me

i was out and about today, and during this time a kid was waving to me. I heard 'hi' from a nearby building when I was on my way to my car and once I noticed they likely meant me I waved back. it was a nice break from the grind of everyday life. kind of like when I was delivering pizza and seeing a little girl saying 'hi pizza man'. it can be nice to see the enthusiasm for life that kids have. still hard to say about progress, if any, on the job front. I called two agencies I had met with last week, and they don't seem to having anything. so it feels like they are like other agencies I have dealt with- sounds like an imminent job but they are just stockpiling applications. a third agency asked me to complete another signed form, hadn't heard from them in a while since submitting. and a direct hire position wants a writing sample, I will get to it eventually. I was asked to call a toll-free number to find out if I am eligible to return to a company I had worked for, and no surprise that I am eligible. but it was hard to get through the prompts to find somebody with a pulse who could help me.
    I went to see friends at a venue this evening, but wasn't picked to perform. since I had wet clothes on from the rain, I went home to change out of them before going out again to perform. I was moved up as one act wanted to tune a guitar before they did their second song. one performer said he missed my set due to this as he was outside. he performed twice, a comedy set and then some piano when another musician was performing.

multiple endings

I went to a play this afternoon, called 'hot air', and it had multiple endings. it reminded me of the 'clue movie' in this respect, and I was told this is where they got the idea. it was a spoof of 1940s 'film noir'. I went because I got an invite from a friend, who also recently got an article in the Minneapolis paper. I guess I will call her 'karma' if I haven't given her a name yet. there was somebody playing an electric piano throughout, and as a history major I caught some of the references being made. I told karma 'you're going to go far, kid', like that offspring song, as many know how she is multi-talented and I was thrilled to share the stage with her and it is why she was added to my 'ring of honor'.
   before it I went to bastille day in downtown st. paul and asked if they would do karaoke again. I also picked up a French tricolor button, as well as asked why one souvenir stand had a shirt with four musketeers instead of 3. I found an employee that had the answer, it appears that is going to be more in the book and not in the dramatic versions it inspired. after the play I went to the ramsey county fair in Maplewood. I got a smoothie and some lemonade. I watched part of a show called 'candyland' and I liked some of the musical numbers in it.
   in the evening was the typical chores to do. I decided to watch my DVD copy of 'lady and the tramp' after mason city started sharing his thoughts about watching Disney movies for the first time. it unearthed some memories if people I knew when I was young having dogs that are in the movie, such as a Scottish terrier and a cocker spaniel.

spy behind home plate movie

this afternoon I saw the movie 'spy behind home plate' in Edina. I knew I would see it as I love baseball and history. same reason why I saw another movie about moe berg, 'catcher was a spy', last year. I liked this one more than last year's. it helped that this one is a documentary, and the other was not. I liked how playing baseball was more of a part of the story, showing archival footage of his days in baseball. in last year's movie, it just served as a backdrop. I already knew some about moe berg, but I liked how it went more in-depth. I had seen other movies by this director, about sears exec Julius Rosenwald as well as about baseball player hank Greenberg. I liked seeing plenty of interviews in it, from a wide variety of people. some were family, others were teammates in baseball. there was even one with brad ausmus, now the manager of the angels. some footage appeared to be from ESPN, as I sometimes saw their logo in the corner of the screen. I said 'not over' when there was one more scene in the closing credits. this is why I stay through the credits, as I don't want to miss anything. when I wrote about it I said it was inspiring on some level. I guess that as a performer, I understand how moe said he loved baseball more than law, and one must do what they love. although I have said I am probably a  'lifer' when it comes to performing.  so I didn't need any more inspiration to keep performing, and attending baseball games, but I found it. I was reminded once again about how he wrote an article in atlantic magazine about baseball. so that is something I should read at some point, of course it is a matter of where I can find it.
    there were some other things I did today. I went to a brunch to a place I saw in Minneapolis for the first time. it was inside a co-op grocery store. I had to wait to use the bathroom as both were occupied when I arrived. then I went to checked my p.o. box, getting there just before closing time, and two items were there. one of them was the 'up in the air' movie flyer from Poland, that I ordered from e-bay. of course there was groceries, and then watching the fox baseball game of the week. it was giants-brewers, and the brewers won 5-4. then there was doing karaoke, and I sang 'country boy can survive' by hank Williams, jr. I realized I still wanted to do that one when I arrived as somebody was singing something by the older hank.

trust the process

this evening I went to sing at a karaoke bar. after I was done I looked at the bulletin board, as I normally do, and saw paper hearts with various sayings on them. I claimed the one saying 'trust the process'. is this how I should feel about looking for work? I am not sure what else to do at this point. I looked on the back and it said 'pass me on', and gave a phone number for a tarot card reader. I saw one of them, a fortune teller, at the renaissance festival, but I don't recall what year it was. aside from how it wasn't last year, as I did not attend then. the song I did was 'born to die' by lana del rey. a young couple said they liked hearing it after I was done. I said there was another one of lana's songs I like even more, the cedric Gervais remix of 'summertime sadness'. they said I should sing another one, but I informed them it was late and that would be it for me as the karaoke jockey had already rounded up the song books. I usually just get one song in when I tend to arrive after the late news is done. I heard somebody do 'uninvited' by alanis Morrissette right after me and then I left.
   it is hard to say as to what progress, if any, was made today on the job front. I got called for an interview in the afternoon, it will be next week. they said they might beat their colleague to me, it was the same company but a different role that I was called for on Tuesday when I was still on the light rail. I said it was an even chance as their colleague hasn't called me since. I called an agency to confirm that the signed forms were received, but was informed that they were going into a meeting and that I would be called after it but I wasn't. after filing numerous applications this morning, I decided to go do some errand running and stopped first at a gas station for the paper. then it was on to Walgreen where I got donuts and juice for Saturday morning. I saw the photo guy I knew, I gave an update about job searching. He said they often cut hours in his department during the summer when it is slower. so he has admitted to considering looking for another role.
  I also had to think about how, sadly, what a friend once said about me being naïve was proven true today. I said right away that I wasn't. I was on the phone a lot in the afternoon and evening because of it, correcting it. and that is all I got to say about that.


   

dairy queen business card

I attended two job fairs today, did a phone interview, and an in-person interview. at the second job fair I saw dairy queen business cards, at first they almost looked like gift cards. it was hard to tell what jobs they had in my field, but it appears it is mainly at the shops/stores and not much at a corporate office. I think the rep was actually for a franchisee, claiming they were in charge of hundreds of stores. at the first job fair it was my first visit in a while, and one company rep said she had asked about me. of course I didn't like having to attend job fairs again, but I would like to think I was given enough helpful advice, especially about interviews, during that time there. I did the phone interview before the first job fair, and the in-person interview was between the two fairs. I showed up late to the interview as I was unaware of the construction in the area and got crossed up. I called them saying I needed help to get there the rest of the way, I was less than a mile away in a visitor parking lot near a railroad track. the open house was a no-go, found out it was just for call center roles. I spoke of how I don't miss things like the 'daily lawsuit threat' from taking calls.
   in the evening I saw some documents to sign from an agency. I completed them and will follow up in the morning as to if there is an offer on the table. I sure hope so, but not necessarily. one agency asked me to complete their on-boarding documents months ago and still hasn't placed me yet. I also went to do karaoke, and did two songs. 'rocking me' by steve miller band, and 'cannonball' by the breeders. I saw a dude I recall from last month, then we talked about basketball as the NBA finals was on. we still talked about sports, I like how this can bridge the gap. but also about music, and he did sing some lionel Richie.

davanni's left overs

when I arrived at the performance venue tonight I saw left overs from davanni's, the pizza place, in the back room. I asked if it was for anyone, and the bartender said it was. so I had a piece of bread and some salad. except it looked like there weren't any forks left, so I had to eat it with my fingers. I didn't want to be a 'barbarian' but felt like I had no choice. I was the first performer at this show, and the button was the headliner. she had some good new ones about a catalog, and about toys. the earlier ones related to sibling rivalry were also fun, as they are relatable. I made a U-turn close to the venue after leaving to avoid after-game traffic.
  this was a low-energy day with job searching, as there was much less activity. I spent some of the day sleeping while waiting for calls. one place emailed me and said my phone wasn't working, but this wasn't true. I tested the line by having somebody call me. I also went to a city government office, and showed them evidence of being instructed to find the place after applying on indeed. they made a copy, not sure what might change. but I was advised to apply on the town's website. it was annoying to find out how applying on indeed, once again, was a waste of time. I would prefer them having the 'apply on company site' button so there is much less wasted energy. two things I already heard about this week are a no-go, disappointing but I know this happens a lot when going through an agency. Thursday will be busy again though, as there are two job fairs to attend as well as an open house.
at least the open house is likely, saw an email and waiting to hear more details about it. there is an in-person interview as well. it wasn't thrilling to see some stats in an email about some positions I applied to on indeed from 2 weeks ago. it was 10 in all, smallest number of applicants was 14, and two of them had over 200 applicants. no wonder why applications on indeed usually go nowhere!
   I ran across something about presidential medal of freedom announcements. looks like there will be three more sports figures to be honored. I had heard about jerry west, and roger Penske, the latest one is bob cousy. no date was given on the official ceremony though, for these three. it led to me finding some more on the list, under businessmen. just by going through the alphabetical list, I found this out. this included ed DeBartolo, sr., as well as a Bronfman- edgar sr. the former owned the Pittsburgh penguins, his son owned the san Francisco 49ers. the latter I was not familiar with, but the name sounded familiar. his brother, Charles Bronfman, owned the montreal expos, and the two brothers helped run the seagram's liquor business. I like how reading about the nation's highest civilian honor helps me with understanding history on a higher level.

inundated? maybe

I started off with an email this morning saying 'you are probably getting inundated with emails'. I said 'maybe', but at the same time I have to keep looking for work until there is an offer. so not a big deal to me. there was plenty of activity. first was a phone interview, then an in-person interview. in the afternoon was an in-person interview, with an agency. and throughout the day there was various calls that I fielded. even one that was a text message, received when I was riding the light rail to an appointment. so I responded by phone after the appointment. then when I was riding the light rail home I decided to get off the train to field a call as I couldn't hear them that well. it just meant a slight delay on getting home, taking a later train. a joke was made that 'didn't land' with me, about how I was willing to move from Illinois to Minnesota for work but not Minnesota to florida. another interview was scheduled, for Thursday, in relation to the phone interview this morning. the meeting with an agency I confirmed wasn't the first one. I was looking through business cards in my organizer while waiting for a rep and had one for another rep at that agency, was informed they still work there. it also meant sending an updated copy of my resume to a few places. I like how there are plenty of possibles on the table, but no offers yet. so it still reminds me of the Richard marx song, how it don't mean nothing until you sign on the dotted line.
  in the evening I was tired so I laid down for a little while. I watched some of the all-star game but not much. the AL was leading 1-0 in the 4th when I left to go perform. found out the AL went on to win the game. I was in somebody's camera phone photo, and they told me about a place I can go to that is helpful for artists. he likes my storytelling, and when he was telling me about it this led to me finding out his real name. I know many go by stage names, no big deal if that is all I know for a while. so it is nice that I am being noticed, I said I am not always aware of who is paying attention.

hungry angry

I knew it was possible that my phone would ring off the hook since I had applied a lot in the past week. I did one phone interview and one in-person interview today. both of these are in store for Tuesday as well. when I scheduled the in-person interview I asked for the afternoon and I said it was due to wanting to have lunch first. I said I hate getting cranky when I am hungry, and the agency rep changed it to hungry and angry. hopefully I will get an offer soon.
   I performed tonight, and the set went fine but I didn't like having to deal with a crowd member. but he was annoying other performers, so not just me.

entourage movie

I watched a DVD copy of the movie 'entourage' this morning. I had often heard about the TV show but hadn't seen it. I was at a resale shop in woodbury this week and saw this movie was there, so I decided to get it. I was wondering why mark Wahlberg was not listed on the disc, found out he does appear in the movie but has a small role. I don't know if feeling distracted at all hindered my watching of the movie, having my mind on other things. I noticed plenty of cameos in it, including warren buffet and mark Cuban. it was about trying to get a movie made, including meeting with the financier of it. there was plenty of swearing, and nudity, in it. I would have liked knowing more of the actors in it besides just Jeremy piven and billy bob thornton.
   I woke up earlier than I really wanted to this morning, so after I watched the movie I decided to lay down again. it was time for lunch by then, and eventually I knew I needed to get laundry done. In the evening I had to watch something else after finding out 'the simpsons' would not be on, so I watched '60 minutes' instead. then some reruns of 'big bang theory'. I could have watched more than just two episodes of 'bang' but I also knew it was time to get on the road to Hy-Vee and finish my weekly grocery order. three items, two of them TV dinners. I spent more time applying for jobs as well.

echo in the canyon movie

this afternoon I saw the movie 'echo in the canyon' at the Edina theater. Jakob Dylan, bob's son, was the main character in it. but I wouldn't call him the 'interviewer' as I didn't see him asking any questions. he was just there when each musician shared their story. I liked how it was more than just the ones from the 1960s, and it had to be since younger musicians were performing their songs at a show in the los angeles area. a little surprising how his famous dad is not shown in it and mentioned only once, but I think he was mostly based in new York city. while there I saw a poster for a re-issue of a movie called 'paris is burning'. I recall hearing about that one while at college in iowa city. there was a dust-up about it because it was shown before anyone gave disclaimers.
   I went to an ice cream social at keys café in woodbury before going to the movie. after the movie I went to the grocery store, and eventually watched some of the baseball 'game of the week', cubs vs. the white sox. but eventually I had to get on the road again, to a potluck comedy show. I was on near the end and brought a vegetable tray.

cover letter required

I sent off another flurry of applications through indeed this afternoon. I was getting an error message on one of them and it said a cover letter was required, so I typed one up. I said I normally don't do them, but hiring me is the best decision they will ever make. I did write more than that, and now I wait to hear their reaction. same is true with the one that wanted an answer to the question as to what makes me unique, so I spoke about acting at a haunted house. I already have an interview for early next week, this surprised me a little.
   I picked up a few items at Walgreen this morning, including some tape so I could do more of my souvenirs in sheet protectors. actually it is just re-deploying them, 6 in all, from those that hindered my interest in stressing quality. after the late news I went to the karaoke bar and sang 'last to know' by delamitri. another bar patron saw my st. paul saints hat and he never really made a point when deciding to comment about it. I said I was going to sing soon, so of course I was bored.

kickball rainout

I stayed busy despite it being a holiday. there was a softball game, followed by a kickball game. but the kickball game was rained out early on. it was time for the event coordinator to get home and set up for the BBQ by then anyway. I hadn't played kickball in a while, but it was nice to get some hits in the softball game as I didn't when I played little league. I also took my can of beer out to the field as it wasn't finished yet. when I arrived at the park I saw somebody at the basketball court first. so I talked to them before making it over to the softball sandlot, where there was only enough for a practice at the time, five people. Chalm-Skinn and the button and blake as well as Yemen native were those I knew well here. at the BBQ I had two burgers and two hot dogs. I hadn't eaten much for lunch, just enough where I knew I wouldn't collapse while in the field, so I was ready to eat by then. I helped get the dog and cat inside when it started to rain as the host requested this. he was taking care of the grill. Stillwater showed up later on. I was asked to get two pans of store-bought brownies to the table by the grill, and decided to have the first piece from one of the pans.
   before departing for the event I spent a lot of time online applying for jobs. I sent 7 applications to one company. looks like I had incomplete applications from nearly a year ago, unsure why. but hopefully somebody will call me soon for an interview. I hate having to apply to each company separately online instead of through indeed as there are plenty of user names and passwords to remember, I have to write down clues for them. in the evening I went to do some karaoke, although it was a light crowd at first likely due to the holiday. I did 'living in America' by james brown, and 'as I lay me down' by sophie b Hawkins. the former I had just heard at the saints game. with all of the fireworks going off around town I knew well enough to keep my windows rolled up on the car ride home. on this night I am used to how it is no problem seeing fireworks while driving around, they are everywhere. 

lee iacocca

I had read the news how lee Iacocca had just died. I recall my dad having his auto-biography when I was young. I recall reading it, and some of the photos in it. such as the cartoons after he turned around Chrysler. people on the phone saying 'get me lee Iacocca!' and 'dear lee, please come back! all is forgiven'. or a joke about possibly running for president, 'but talk of bailing out the government may be a little premature'. I do recall some of the TV commercials he was in for the company, including the dodge viper sports car. and years later, he returned with rapper snoop dogg, who had a variation on his best known slogan. originally it was 'if you find a better car, buy it'. but snoop said 'if the car is more fly, you must buy'. I was not familiar with how he had guest starred on 'Miami vice'. but I was familiar with a documentary where jay leno said his parents liked that fella. or how I have been to buca di Beppo and lee was one of the famous Italians in the artwork near the front door. public radio said he was the first celebrity executive, so as a history major I understand his place in the history of the car industry. he was behind the ford mustang, and I have owned two mustangs.
   I stayed busy today. there was an interview in the early afternoon, but it was mostly a presentation about working in sales. I am more interested in doing customer service, and it remains to be seen as to if I will be contacted for that role. I felt bad about not having my phone on this morning, as an agency called me about a job and I only turned on my phone after the interview, while still in woodbury. I responded to the voicemail and text message, hopefully I will hear something on Friday. I bought a DVD while at the shopping center that has keys café and their charlie brown statues. I did the same thing after test scoring season  ended last year.
   in the evening I went to the st. paul saints baseball game, as it was fireworks night for 4th of july a day early. the saints beat the Lincoln saltdogs 5-1. Lincoln scored first, but the saints got on the board in the 6th, aided by a double steal. they scored 4 times in that inning, and one more in the 7th. the karaoke guy sat next to me for a little while, and the fan said he knew him from running marathons. no big deal to move one seat over for him, for one thing when I arrived he was already there. after the game was food trucks, I counted 9. I think that down a few from memorial day. I got a mimosa cupcake for three dollars. during the fireworks show I said I would have liked hearing full songs. the first one was 'living in America' by james brown.

waiting for scanner

i went to the dollar store after work for a can of spaghetti and had to wait a little to pay and go. I was told they were looking and waiting for somebody to come back with a scanner. it was also un-nerving when a lady said she had been bit by a cat.
   it was the last day of work for this season of test scoring. I have an interview lined up for Wednesday, it was moved up one day as they informed me they won't do interviews on a holiday. I was advised to bring a list of references, which prompted by to try all of them on the list. there are four, and I got voicemail for three of them. but I like how all of them appear to be current.
  I performed tonight, and another performer recognized me from the contest but I don't know him. I started off with a call-back to the MC, mason city, doing my intro and it almost sounded like I was going to be known by a one-word name. still not sure how the bartender knew who I was since he had his back turned to me when I arrived.

mcdonald's word find

a fellow comic had a mcdonald's word find, but said he didn't get it there. I knew the final quiz how ray kroc is credited as the founder. I also spoke of the movie 'the founder' about him. also got to see Nebraska, who is actually Youngstown. I said I would be changing it as it describes this comic way better. he spoke about selling tickets for some of his shows, and I got to see some of the tickets.
   still moving right along with test scoring, the final total was higher today compared to Friday, but I also worked longer, until 5pm. I paid 2 bills by phone during my breaks. performing went find tonight, although the MC called me by the wrong name. the rain was pouring when I got out of the venue. even though I had a rain jacket with me, I still got wet from the walk to the ramp. there was one couple that asked for directions, right before I reached the ramp, but I had to admit that I didn't know the area well enough to know where the hospital was.