less than zero movie

this evening I watched a DVD on loan from the library, 'less than zero'. I recognized many of the actors in it, such as Robert downey, Andrew McCarthy, jami gertz, and James spader. it was hard to watch Downey's character as he was the one with the drug problem. but I am aware of how there are real people like this out there. I think this is why I liked McCarthy's character a lot, trying to talk sense into people. I liked the passion in it. I understand it was based on a novel. it was about three friends from high school in Beverly hills, that re-unite when one of them is home from college. the music in it was good, such as 'hazy shade of winter' by the bangles, and one in the credits by roy orbison, 'life fades away'. it doesn't end well, and when it is about a junkie then nobody should expect it to end well. when I went to sing karaoke tonight, my second song was 'hazy shade of winter'. the first was 'high and dry' by radiohead.
   I did some other things today, such as check my post office box. not much was there though, and one item I also got at home, a card from the census bureau about jobs. I went to two grocery stores, and then it was to the prep bowl. this is what the high school football championships in Minnesota are called. I saw the last game of the day, the 5-a final, chaska vs. st. Thomas academy. chaska scored first, a field goal. st. Thomas couldn't move the ball well at first, but then benefited from a short field to get a TD and go up 7-3, which was the halftime score. it looked like this score would hold up, but chaska got a late TD and won 10-7. chaska was aided by some penalties, such as pass interference as well as targeting. I took the light rail to the Vikings stadium, and with the winter weather we are having I knew full well this was a good idea. I had some godfather's pizza at bobby and steve's after the game, then headed home. some fans from the college game, Minnesota gophers vs. Wisconsin, were on the train as well. I was able to figure out, based on how some of them talked, who won and it was the visiting badgers.

i only want you to love me movie

I watched a DVD movie on loan from the library this morning, 'i only want you to love me'. it is German, and from the 1970s. I don't mind subtitled movies, although when I see them they are usually French. it caught my eye when flipping through the racks because of the image of somebody on a commuter train. and then of course the title itself. reading the description on the back, it meant something to me when 'the marriage of maria braun' was mentioned. It is by the same director, Fassbinder. 'braun' was a movie I heard about in a college class, known as rhetoric, a speech and writing class. I was not assigned the movie, and I still haven't seen it, but the title was memorable. I was assigned an American movie, 'midnight cowboy'. hearing about German movies during my first semester in Iowa city was proof of how 'it is a different world than where I came from'.
   now I should probably discuss 'love me', the movie I actually just saw. it is about a newlywed who moves to Munich for construction work. he hides the money problems from his wife, and some of them are caused by expensive purchases but also because having a baby can be expensive. it very much reinforces the choice of the title, as it was done for love and acceptance, which for a long time eluded the main character. one thing in it may have been true at the time, how Munich was the most expensive city in the nation. during the cold war, when there was two Germanys, this may have been the case, as the capital in the west was Bonn, and Berlin was divided by a wall. at times his money troubles meant having to ask his parents for help. certain scenes I am thankful were in it, as it captured the reality of life well. such as when he sleeps on a mattress, no bed frame, in a flat (apartment) before his wife moves in. and then seeing him all alone while waiting for a commuter train. were there any American things in it? probably. looks like the main character was wearing wrangler jeans. and in the special features, the 'making of' part, there is mention of an actor being 'like Charles bronson'. also in the 'making of' part, I noticed that 'doppelganger' seemed to be the same word in both languages. Wikipedia states it is a German word, so it was 'borrowed' from this language. there was one point where I was confused, thinking it was his dad in a bar scene, but it was a 'doppelganger' in his adopted city. the story is told through flashbacks, while the main character talks to a psychologist. it was a good story, it held my attention.
   when I went to the library to return two movies, I got two more. I think I will have enough time to see them this weekend. it was mostly a leisurely day, but I also made it to Walgreen for my weekly order which includes getting the Minneapolis paper and a few food items. I had hoped to watch the Iowa vs. Nebraska football game on TV, but the paper said it was on big ten network. so for a while in the afternoon, I laid down and fell asleep. I also did my annual viewing of the charlie brown thanksgiving special. in the evening I watched some of 'bonnie and clyde' on the 'movies!' channel. after the news I went to sing karaoke, I chose 'fire down below' by bob seger. it was snowing by the time I left for the karaoke bar. 

leisure seeker movie

this evening I watched a DVD movie on loan from the library, it was 'leisure seeker'. I recognized Donald Sutherland in it, helen mirren I have heard of but don't know near as well. it is about an elderly couple driving a Winnebago RV from Boston to Florida, to see the hemingway home in key west. this is definitely not a comedy. I laughed only once during it. this was when somebody falls on the ground and then falls asleep rather quickly. I like road movies, but this was hard to watch at times. since Donald's character has memory loss, this part of the story was hard to watch. but I did like seeing what stops they made along the way, such as at a historic site in virginia, with a colonial theme. at times in this odyssey one might wonder if they will get to key west, but they do. the movie would fill incomplete if they didn't. I liked mention of various writers besides just hemingway, as James Joyce, Tennessee Williams, and jack London were also mentioned. I am ambivalent about the 2016 election being a backdrop, as it seemed to add very little to the story. I do like one message the movie sends- how the travelers are saying 'it's my life' in the face of worried family members.
    even though it is thanksgiving, there was still plenty that I did today. I woke up early enough where I was able to get the annual viewing of 'planes trains and automobiles' in before a meetup walk at como zoo in st. paul. the walk ran beyond the expected end time but I didn't mind. when I was driving home I got the first football game on the radio, bears-lions. then I put it on TV when I got home. the bears won 24-20, and since there were other things I wanted to do the rest of the day that is the only game I watched. in the evening I picked up a turkey dinner from a nearby restaurant. no big deal having to move it back a little.

free bread

I have been eating some 'free bread' this week. it is hot dog buns from aldi. it was nice to find on my way out of the store, the cart was put out just before I went through the checkout line. there were loaves of bread as well, but I figured the hot dog buns were enough. a pack of 8, eating by myself, means they will still get eaten in a timely fashion. I noticed the 'sell by' date of nov. 26, explaining why they likely became available in a free cart. I am down to one bun, which will work well with dinner the next day. I went to order thanksgiving dinner tonight, and found out the place was all booked up, even with carry-out, until evening. so it means eating something else at midday. you get what you get when ordering on short notice.
    at work I stayed a few minutes past the end of my shift for the third straight day. this tends to happen when getting a call just before the end of my scheduled leave time. this was sending an inquiry on amended income tax returns. there were three, and two of them were last touched 6 months ago. I want to see that things are done right, and it means looking up the procedure first. and wanting it cleared before I leave. so not a big deal, just take a later bus home. it was a sparse crowd on the bus, but this can happen if people are off a little early for the holiday. at lunchtime I made it to another building to get a bus pass with my name on it. this meant taking 60 minutes for lunch.
   I went to perform in the evening, and the three karaoke stories from the past week went over well. I started off my set with mention of hearing music from the main room, it was music videos on a TV monitor. I could hear 'truth hurts' by lizzo real well, so before I went on I went close to the door so I could hear it better. there was a contest for a gift at the end of the show, a minute on stage about turkeys. I also spoke with some new performers after the show, one of them moved here from texas for graduate school.

scrolling down farther

much like the previous day, I got a call near the end of the shift which led to a form request. I had to call the resource line and found out I needed to scroll down farther to find it. at first I said it wasn't there, as I was used to the first field having what I needed. I decided to see 'how the other half lives' when taking the bus home as there were more available seats up front. the caller wanted copies of tax returns, sounded like there was a sense of urgency but the caller lived more than an hour away.
   looks like yet another open-mic was a no-go. I show up at the venue and it is locked up and lights off. so I got some popcorn and then went to do karaoke in another town. I sang 'pinch me' by the barenaked ladies. it was on my mind due to a lunch conversation. where someone made an observation about how busy it was in the breakroom. and it made me think of the song lyric, 'where hungry people like to eat'. it was nice to see the button's friend, likely the first time since she moved back from Colorado. the button did not make it, likely due to the weather. when I arrived it was light snow falling, but when I left more than an hour later there was plenty of snow on the ground. so I was fine with taking secondary roads home. the server from last week served me this time, although it was odd that she forgot my drink and then swore in my direction. I was at a table with people I knew, different from my M.O. of sitting at the bar.

dollar store audible

I went to the dollar store after work and got more than just a can of spaghetti. I also got toilet paper, except it wasn't my first choice. I had hoped to get the 4-pack but the section was empty. and it meant getting a single roll. at work there was some goodies, I decided to partake of the little cheesecakes wrapped in paper like a muffin. there was also cinnamon rolls, but I told myself I was good until lunchtime and none were left by then. I got a bag of chips from the vending machine, but I may want to cut back in doing so. It was no big deal when the 'snack shack' was around, needing just fifty cents for many items. but I do recall how at previous jobs I usually avoided buying vending machine items. I stayed a few extra minutes after my shift ended as there was a form request, sending out a booklet for filing property tax returns. there was shadowing in the afternoon, but just two calls during that hour. I started off by asking about password reset for reviewing scored calls. but this didn't eat into the hour that much.
   in the evening I went to perform, but the back room was not available because some rehearsals were happening. not a big deal, but it is a smaller stage. I had 3 karaoke stories to tell. I do need to try harder to get to the comedy club on time to sign up, second straight week that I haven't. it is all about how early I leave home, and what I do on the drive on the way there, how many stops I make. when I arrived it was nice to see not just brawler but also turtle check, as well as sub teacher and opera singer.

mystery drink

I went to a bar to see a football game around midday, the Chicago bears were playing the new York giants. for my first beer order I chose the 'mystery drink' because it was a dollar cheaper than coors. but I didn't like it, tasted fruity, and that is not what I am used to from beer. so for the second half, I got the coors beer in a plastic cup. at halftime I went to a nearby gas station and got a hot dog. when I got back the second half had started. bears trailed 7-3 at the half but were up 10-7 when I got back. the bears went on to win, 19-14. I got a picture of a bear statue with a football jersey on it.
   after the game ended, I went to the library and picked up two DVD movies as I have more time to watch them with the upcoming holiday. I also picked up some egg nog at cub foods. in the evening I watched 'the simpsons', it was a thanksgiving episode that was more like a Halloween episode. after this I watched some 'big bang theory' reruns. it was when raj was honored by a magazine, when Sheldon learned to drive, and when Sheldon got free dinners from grad students. I called my dad after this since the holiday is coming up and we hadn't talked much lately. then around the time of the 10pm news I was getting beeps from my phone, low battery. so I knew I needed to get it plugged in to the wall and charged up.

no safe spaces movie

I went to see the documentary movie 'no safe spaces' this afternoon. except this led to calling an audible, more than once. I went to inver grove heights, but the computers were down, which led to long lines. I didn't feel like waiting around for a fix to the situation. I said I shouldn't have to deal with this, where they are so dependent on computers to sell tickets. I had wrote down the schedule of theaters showing it, and was aware that it was also at Edina southdale, 30 minutes later. I made it in time to see it in Edina. I was familiar with comedian adam carolla, who was one of the main players in it, from one other movie that was recommended to me by somebody that knows I am a performer. the one about going on the road again after the sitcom ended. it was a decidedly older crowd at this screening, I was likely the youngest one there. some of what was covered didn't surprise me at all, since I went to college in iowa city in the 1990s when one heard a lot about political correctness. there was mention of Charles murray in it, who wrote a controversial book 'the bell curve', and I had heard how some of his lectures were disrupted with things like pulling a fire alarm because some didn't agree with him and didn't want him to talk. it meant something to me once I found out he was from newton, iowa, much like me. but he does not appear in the movie. some other comedians besides carolla do, such as tim allen. it is disturbing to hear how lectures at university campuses are canceled when somebody complains that they don't want a conservative speaker on campus. people should be allowed to decide on their own what they do and don't want to be exposed to, instead of having it decided for them. I have said the same when hearing about 'banned books'. much was said about free speech in it, and of course the image of the statue of liberty with tape over its mouth will be memorable. also memorable will be cartoons such as the first amendment with gunshot wounds, and a superhero called 'social justice warrior'. also odd to hear a recorded conversation where one side said 'they are 18, they are adults' and the other said 'but they are young adults'. I have to agree with the former.
   the second audible was after the movie. I wanted to go to a nearby bobby and steve's to get some godfather's pizza but there wasn't any. so I left and found pizza in another town. before I made it to their location, I stopped at a comedy venue and said hi to a server. I said I needed to get signed up again for their weekly open-mic, haven't been there since july. in the evening I went to a karaoke bar and sang 'moneytalks' by ac/dc. sounds like the karaoke jockey will be leaving, according to somebody at my booth they are going full-time as a manager at a grocery store. I escorted another singer home much like earlier this month.
   in the morning I made it to the post office, had to skip last weekend as I was out of state. one e-bay order was there. just before midday I went to a sports bar to watch a football game, iowa vs. Illinois. iowa was up 7-0 early on when I arrived, and iowa went on to win 19-10. so I only saw them kick field goals, it was lackluster but the win is most important. it was a sparse crowd all around at this bar, I may have been the only one there to watch that game even though plenty of TVs were reserved for it. I am aware how the crowds are lighter at this bar since the saints stadium is no longer nearby. this is why I liked going there for a while. 

uneven table

during lunch I decided to sit with some classmates from training. and it meant avoiding an uneven table again. not sure what made it uneven, aside from broken shoes on the table legs. still trying to figure out what works with lunch schedule, it may be doing 45 minutes but can't do a full hour. I am commonly doing more than 30 minutes, even though I have officially only asked for 30. but I am finding out that 30 minutes is not enough if I am talking to others. and when I am new of course having the time to cover what we are dealing with is helpful. there was a 'repeat potluck' and I had some of the dessert items such as pie. also liked the little cheese squares, but some of the cheese, what looked like kraft singles, had been sitting out for too long. this is hard to ignore, how some things have a limited shelf life.
  in the evening I went to sing karaoke, I did 'bad blood' by taylor swift. I wrote another posting about performing on facebook due to it. although I am unsure what inspired it. buzz words such as ambivalent, and owning it, were ones that I explored. the karaoke jockey spoke of how it was unexpected that I chose this song but I like doing a wife variety of songs. the crowd was really on board with it, and this is nice but it tends to happen when it is a popular song. although one must be careful about it, as it looked like one crowd member wanted to sing along with me and I don't care to share the stage with others, especially people I don't know. this is proof of how performing has changed me, as I have had to adapt to my environment. a case of  'what works and what doesn't'.

shine a light

i went to sing karaoke in the evening, and I was getting tired near the end of the night. I was at the bar and the bouncer noticed, so from the other end he decided to shine a light on me. I responded with a 'ha!' I did two songs, 'it's a sin' by pet shop boys, and 'American idiot' by green day. the former was inspired by hearing it on 'young sheldon' tonight. there was a lady that knew my name, I said we hadn't been formally introduced. I invent mnemonic devices, and with her I was thinking of the TV show 'our house'. she spoke with the bouncer fairly often tonight, and was wearing a camouflage shirt. she said she is a server there, but I don't recall her being a server for me, so possibly working on nights I am not there. as I was leaving she did a trick with a ballcap she was wearing and a Michael Jackson 'hee hee'. at least she was more fun than another lady who misheard what I said, and always has looked like a 'hot mess' to me.
   at work we had a potluck, I ate two different kinds of meatballs, one had BBQ sauce. with the call volume it meant waiting on doing a replacement check request, since it was right before the potluck began and I wanted to see I was doing it right. and there was a 'convention' during the first half of the day. although I was bored at times when they were talking about taxes, even though it is now my line of work. it led to some 'doodling', mainly writing down the cars I had owned. bad of me, isn't it?

hung up in closet

i was feverishly trying hard to find a sweatshirt and couldn't. it wasn't in a Ziploc bags like some others were. then I checked a closet and it was hung up in there, along with 2 others. guess I didn't recall doing this. I was trying to find it, initially, when I was packing for the weekend in iowa. then I said I needed to go, it was taking too long, would try to find it later.
   at work there still was some weird calls, but I feel like I handled them better than the previous day. one of them was about reporting a tax preparer. no fraudulent returns were filed, but the caller said the preparer did not prepare or file them. a colleague said we just need to tell them that we will enter the information and it is up to other agencies to act upon it. we are not in licensure and we are not law enforcers. another spoke about being a 'snowbird' and changing his residency for tax purposes. but he was also trying to ask me questions I really couldn't answer, based on just having tax returns that doesn't state how much income was social security. I was informed that the state of Minnesota does not have withholding taxes on social security anyway.
   I performed in the evening, and this week I was the leadoff comic after the show runner. quite often lately I have been the show closer. I decided to start off my set with mention of what happened last night, the show that wasn't. hard to ignore that there is some material from it. a comic said he had an idea for another story I was telling, related to visiting iowa. although it was just an 'introduction' and other things appeared to be a stronger story to tell. I checked and I do not appear to be connected as a facebook friend with this comic, although we have talked on a fairly regular basis at the clubs. the in-person interactions mean more to me. because this is what we had before facebook.

happier place preferred

i went to perform at an open-mic and upon arrival I hear my name, and found out it was meant to be a distraction. this was from the one that often has the muppet doll. two people were arguing, but one was saying more than the other. the mic did not happen, or at least it did not proceed beyond a 'suspended' status. so when I arrived at candyland to get some popcorn, I said I was there because I preferred a happier place. then it was on to a karaoke venue as I still wanted some stagetime. I arrived before the start of karaoke, and did the first song. I chose 'we can work it out' by the beatles, inspired by what I had seen at the first venue. it was either that or 'bad blood' by taylor swift. I got a drink ticket for performing, so now it means figuring out when I will return to use it and what I will be having. this is a big deal as this is a venue I visit on a less frequent basis in the past year.
   at work I was told not to call myself an 'incompetent idiot' because of having to hand off a call after IT problems. I said I wanted to avoid looking like one to the caller, which to me is a difference. some of these issues are happening because I hate being a rookie. but I think it also makes a difference as to who is helping me on the resource line. some people are better than others, and I just hate having to repeat myself. and I don't know what else to do when it becomes an in-person thing because they arrive at my cube to discuss it further.

letter generating

at work, I had a caller requesting a rent paid affidavit, so it meant generating a letter. this of course is related to the property tax returns, when there is no certificate of rent paid. it was a busy day due to having some of the staff diverted into training. what kind of training it was for, I don't know. I was taking back-to-back calls for a while. I like the exposure, although at times it is some tough scenarios to handle. and of course I prefer having gaps between calls. but I am there to take calls so that means do as much as I can. some of this was covered in training, but doesn't mean much until we are actually taking calls about it.
   in the evening I briefly went home between venues, as I was behind on chores. the main thing left was doing dishes. I got down to the last of it, putting silverware into the coffee mug. so there wasn't much left to do once I got home again. this is rare for me to do this, but I couldn't ignore the need for finishing chores. this is what makes it tough about being out of town, as I either have to do things before the normal time or after. and one can find it hard to find the time or energy. then eventually I went to perform, and some jokes got a good reaction from those watching. these were about trying to remember names at work, since it is a new job, and being out of state over the weekend.

coffee break image

I began the day in Urbandale, iowa, at my hotel room. as usual, I like it when not much is planned for my last day out of state. get breakfast, check out of the hotel, and get on the road. I got a muffin, granola bar, and hot cocoa near the front desk. it was wet in the des moines area when I started my drive, not a big deal, better than snow. the rental car gave me messages at times, one of them had an image of a cup of coffee, saying 'consider taking a break'. I would often see it after about an hour of driving, but wanted to go farther before stopping. I made my first stop in clear lake, iowa, about halfway home. I had just enough gas to get that far, and the 'low fuel' message popped on just before then. it was just before midday, and I got a can of dr. pepper and a slice of pizza. I stopped again at a rest area just south of Northfield, Minnesota, to use the bathroom.
   once I made it back to the twin cities there was still some things I wanted to get done right away. one of those was going to the library to print some things. another was getting a TV dinner at cub foods. it was about time to return the rental car by then, so I made my way to the agency after stopping at a gas station to return it with a full tank. after I get home again I made it over to the grocery store for my full order for the week. I watched 'the simpsons', about a visit to costa rica. I did some online surveys but deleted half of them, figuring I did not have enough time for all of them. I caught some of the bears-rams football game on the radio, bears lost 17-7.

bill montgomery

i attended the memorial for my uncle, bill Montgomery, around midday. it was in Chariton, iowa, a town I did not grow up in but visited often over the years because my parents are from there. I woke up before the alarm went off and got breakfast from the front desk area. I was on the road ay 9am to give myself plenty of time to drive there, as it was just over an hour away. upon arrival at the church I said what I was there for, who my mom is, and I need a bathroom. once I relieved myself I went back to my car and got out my outfit so I could change into it. although my mom said that jeans would have been fine, I brought dress pants because I planned on wearing them. I sat up front next to my mom and her 2 sisters. one of my aunts is also an ordained minister and was an officiant. it meant something to me when the older aunt shared how my grandparents were opposed to her living with her second husband before marriage. she said she wanted to get a good idea of if it would pan out, and I am for that sentiment. there was food after the service, and it was likely the first time I ate in a church pew as there was nowhere else to sit in the basement. it was nice to see family, although I wish it was for a different reason, since weddings are more fun. I was sent with some food as there was plenty left over. I think some was still left at the church and I said that hopefully it will all get eaten after the sunday church service the next day. it was hard to ignore the building across the street, as it looked condemned and there was a notice posted at the front door to that effect. I hate to see empty buildings, hopefully the condemned building is demolished soon.
   on the way back to des moines, I made a few stops to take pictures such as in Osceola as the Amtrak station is there. I got on a train there at age 8 when I went with my parents to see Chicago. I was listening to the iowa-minnesota football game on the radio, then I was able to watch the 4th quarter on TV when I got back to my hotel. iowa won 23-19. in the evening I went to sing some karaoke, at a place I have been to before while in the area. my selection was 'ode to my family' by the cranberries. it was a song I played a lot around the time of another family funeral, my grandma, just over a decade ago. 

mailroom tour

we did a mailroom tour this morning, saw the incoming and outgoing mail. it ran long so a meeting with my boss had to wait. it was postponed from an earlier date, and I like tours so I like that it still happened. I understand that a tour is easier to do this time of year, outside of tax filing season. we saw a sound-proof room as well. it was a floor below where I am usually working.
   I am going out of state for the weekend for a family funeral. after work I went straight to the car rental outlet, although once I got there I still had to wait in line to get the car. it was odd to see a valet this time, as I am used to having to find the car on my own. it didn't take long to pack, just a small gym bag and a garment bag. I stopped at a holiday station near home to get dinner, a hot dog. and after that my only other stop was in clear lake, iowa, at a casey's, halfway to my destination. I got some pizza there. I was fine with just getting to des moines tonight, and then finish the drive in the morning. in my rush to book a hotel, I didn't notice that the one I chose had no computer on site to check email. I was informed that a nearby library was available, so not a big deal. I made good time on the road once I got started, and made it to the des moines area just before midnight. I sent a few messages on facebook before I left town, and one of them was to a karaoke jockey saying I couldn't make it on Saturday. I like keeping people in the loop when they are used to seeing me each week.

yoplait peach yogurt

this morning at work there was a breakfast for us new employees. one of the things I had there was Yoplait peach yogurt. it had been a while since I had eaten yogurt. I also had a jelly donut from dunkin. then there was the department staff meeting a little later on. I ended up staying late because a call ran long. it was from somebody who was representing their deceased parents. this wasn't a case of it going 5 minutes over, it was more like 30 minutes. so it means putting in a request on my time card to have it entered as 'comp time'. as this is one option, the other being overtime. eventually I was advised to conference in a colleague that was helping me with it. when this happens I saw it as being 'above my pay grade'. after work I saw a letter from the test scoring company, an annual mailing. it said I would be offered work next season, but even though I liked the work I am hopeful I won't need it. I am on a direct-hire position now. although I will admit I liked having the option of it being available for a second season when there were no other offers.
   in the evening I stopped at the library on the way to the karaoke bar and printed some things, some orders I had made. then I did two songs. 'china grove' by the doobie brothers, and 'when smokey sings' by abc. during the second song I saw somebody arguing with the karaoke jockey, but I knew I had to ignore it so I liked being 'above the craziness'. it teaches me the importance of priorities. I can control what is happening onstage when I am there. the first song was chosen as I wanted one that made me think of  Iowa, my native state. the song was in 'field of dreams' and I am going to my native state this weekend.

return and exchange on shoes

after work I went back to jc penney and made a return and exchange on the shoes I bought on Saturday. I tried wearing them at work for two days and they were too tight, and it was hurting my feet to wear them. so I knew I had no choice. I tried on multiple pairs before I settled on the replacement. it meant paying a little more, but comfort is more important than price. the new choice has no laces, which I will enjoy, not having to re-tie them all the time. I did it before I went to perform, and spoke of it in my set. the show was just getting started when I arrived. we were done kind of early, I think the weather held down attendance.
   at work I started much earlier in the day on taking calls, and there were some weird ones. such as asking for the language line and the caller hanging up really early so I had to tell the interpreter and that was the end of the call. another was a colleague losing a call and I was on the line for a while, in part due to the caller thinking it was intentional. I said 'i think I got your call' and was told the last thing to say was 'the check is on the way'. when I offered options on lodging a complaint, which were probably not in line with what the caller wanted, the caller hung up. I did what I could.

double piece of cornbread

i went to perform tonight and when I got my drink order in the chef said there was cornbread, and I was pleased to get a double piece. but I ate only one there, and decided to take the other one home. since it was wrapped in aluminum foil it was no problem preserving it. some of what I said was in response to what the show runner was saying, and I said 'we covered it last week'. one performer I hadn't seen in a while, and found out goes by initials. it might have been the first time for him at this venue. he once asked me a question then I found out he wanted help on writing something on a laptop, so once I found out I said I couldn't help him since I wouldn't get credit for what was written. I prefer that people be honest with me. I liked how the chef gave me a line for the show runner, when I was called to the stage while I was getting my order in. no doubt it was more quickly than I was expecting.
   at work I did take calls on my own, but only starting just before midday. I wanted to get caught up on administrative things, so I looked up some things and made a list of questions to ask my boss. except my boss was on the way to a meeting, so it will have to wait. this was likely the last day of having an hour-long lunch. but I know there are adjustments that must be made at times, and I know better than to be picky as I like being back at work and having a productive routine. this was the final day listed on the pages for our days of training.

an actor prepares movie

i watched a DVD on loan from the library, 'an actor prepares'. I recognized only one actor in it, Jeremy irons. it was about an actor going across the country to get to a wedding, while traveling with his estranged son. I like road movies, so when I heard about it I said it has to go on my list. at one point I said 'this made sense' where he gave somebody the slip, and I should have expected it. as a baseball fan of course I liked how one scene was at a minor-league baseball game. another one was with the green giant statue. but I also saw in the closing credits how it was filmed on location in Georgia. I noticed a house in one scene had a plate up saying it was on the national register of historic places, so more things for me to look up. I have been to plenty of car shows, so I liked seeing a classic sports car in this movie, a Plymouth barracuda. of course when it is a road movie there has to be some hazards along the way to make it more interesting, wondering if they will make it on time.
    I got plenty done today on a day off, for veterans day. I did plenty of online surveys, it was delayed due to technical problems from the previous day. and I got the movie back to the library, then went to lunch at Kentucky fried chicken. after this I got a haircut and went to pick up some items at the family dollar. I liked how the wait at sport clips was much shorter than expected. in the evening I went to perform, and when I arrived I found out there was a student reporter from the local university, so I did an audio interview and she was there to record our performances as well.

motherless brooklyn movie

saw the movie 'motherless brooklyn' in inver grove heights this afternoon. I chose this theater based on the schedule I wanted to keep. because I wanted to see a football game on TV first, bears-lions. the movie is long, over 2 hours, but it kept my attention so I didn't mind. this has a good cast all around, besides ed Norton I also recognized bruce willis and alec baldwin in it. it took a while before I heard the movie's title but they do cover the origin of it, and I am used to hearing their 'explanation'.  I was next to somebody who laughed when they saw the Tourette syndrome tics by ed Norton, but I didn't see them as funny at all. I liked how a jazz club, in Harlem, figures into the storyline, because of course I am a performer and I liked mention of what a performer thinks about performing. how it is often more of a curse than a blessing. the jazz club is the easiest way to get music into the movie, and most movies have some. looks like Wynton marsalis was a performer there, I stay for the closing credits. as a baseball fan I liked mention of the sport in it, though it is just a backdrop, about trying to keep the dodgers in Brooklyn, a way of giving the time period for the movie. my dad would likely have known the cars well in it, since it has a setting in the 1950s. I know one car early in it was a dodge, since it was in big letters on the trunk.
   I watched the bear-lions game, starting at midday, although I fell asleep during the middle. the bears won 20-13, and there was mention of how back this series goes, to when the lions were the spartans, in Portsmouth, ohio. after I got back from the movie, I caught the ending of 'the simpsons', something about a 'lumber jill'. then I saw some 'big bang theory' reruns, including the one with the 'quiz bowl'.  I also did some shredding of junk mail, and I was able to eliminate the pile this time. other times I didn't want to do too much at once as the shredder will shut down if overheating. it helps to run it more often, such as every two weeks instead of once a month.

spare pair of shoelaces

I knew it was time to get a pair of dress shoes to replace the one I have. I was pleased how there was a spare pair of laces in the ones I bought. I wanted to stretch my money, so I went to the clearance section to look at what was available. I ended up paying just over five dollars because I had some gift cards to use. I do like a good deal. I went to the jc penney in Roseville to find what I wanted. it was a day of errand running, of course this starts with going to pick up the orders at my po box. then it was on to the bank, where they had some goodies, and 'penny checks' on a board near it. I think it was a garden-variety 'customer appreciation day'. after getting the shoes, I had hoped to see a financial advisor at a credit union, but they had just closed for the day. so I went to the library and printed some things. it was time for lunch by then so I stopped at a speedway gas station and had a chili cheese hot dog. I saw no boats so it meant using napkins instead to carry it out. I wanted to get home and watch the iowa-wisconsin football game on TV. I fell asleep and missed some of it, but I saw the start and end of it. iowa lost 24-22.
   in the evening I did some online surveys, and fell asleep again while watching the late local news. once I woke up I wanted to get to the bar right away to sing karaoke. I did 'the story' by brandi carlile. while I was waiting I watched a show about the Minnesota Vikings, the local football team. I recognized who was on it, as it was a fellow comic, Worthington native. there were some problems with the technology, the karaoke computer needed to be re-booted multiple times. so it was in doubt as to if I was going to sing, but I was aided by some people leaving early. near the end of the night, the karaoke jockey doesn't wait long for somebody to get to the stage and sing before they move on to the next person. since they want as many singers as possible.
   this was also by typical day of getting groceries. it was the first time this season to get some egg nog, and I will likely get some once a week through the end of the season. I tend to see it in stores through new year's day. I chose a half gallon as that is all I could find, normally I get a quart. I saw 'almond milk' but I didn't want to take a chance on it, being reminded of when I tried soy milk egg nog and didn't like it at all.

the big peach

I noticed the star tribune sports section was a throwback 'peach color' as the gopher football team has been doing well for the first time since the 1960s. I recall the sunday edition of the des moines register being called 'the big peach' for this reason. but it was just the first page with this color.
   at work it was the second day of rotations, I took 4 calls near the end of the day but I didn't like who was shadowing me. they called i.t. over and I don't think anything was wrong with my computer. and I had to keep putting callers on hold because they were too pushy. I could have figured it out on my own. we have Monday off and are due back on Tuesday. I am still waiting to hear what our schedule is for that day, as there was no email yet about the rotations. I met with my boss before lunch and she was interested in how I do karaoke. I am more willing to talk about this than doing stand-up. although I get some of the same kind of questions. the calls I was getting seemed to be more representative of what I will get, plenty of questions about the property tax refund forms. one of them just wanted to know if there still was time to file it, and I said yes because the deadline is in august if next year, giving people an extra year. so I didn't even ask them for any information to look at their account.
   in the evening I watched 'la bamba' on DVD. it still works for me on lessons about performing. I had considered watching 'good will hunting', which i say is my favorite movie, but I have strong feelings for 'la bamba' as well since it is a musician biography. after the late news I did some karaoke, one song. it was 'invisible touch' by genesis. much like most selections, I was inspired to choose it by hearing it on the radio recently.

20 year wait

I finally took some calls this morning, shadowing. but it was just two. the caller said, after being transferred to me, was that he had been waiting 20 years to get the answer. I was advised to have him call the feds, he said he had already called them. I had to call him back as my partner lost the call when we were calling the resource line. he also asked for my badge number, I don't have one, and asked why there was no mention of the call being recorded. I said I am used to hearing this message 'ensure quality', and I started off by asking why it has taken this long to try to find an answer but he didn't say. I still need more exposure than this, as so far I have been on seven calls over three sessions. but it is a slow time of year, so we can't create calls, only handle the ones that we get.
we were on rotations, it also meant listening to calls in the basement as well as going over scenarios on independent study. I found answers for half of them, and the other half I expect to find on Friday.
   in the evening I did some karaoke, 'bullet with butterfly wings' by smashing pumpkins. a facebook friend mentioned it as one of the 3 favorite songs by this band. the posting started with a pumpkin image, but he said it had nothing to do with the band despite it being about music. this would be the record label owner. he said the other two favorites were from 'gish', an album I have but don't know as well as the later ones. I didn't see the typical binders full of karaoke selections but I was advised by another regular that I can just ask the karaoke jockey if he has it and he did. I liked what he had to say about training new people, I am here if you need me, but it is fine to make some mistakes. it reminds me of what I have said about being in training- I learn best when I am the one doing the work.

i am reborn

when I was taking the bus home tonight after work I saw a familiar face. it was the attorney, somebody I knew from riding when I had a different job. I did fairly well with saying within a short time what had happened in the past two years. there was mention of how I had bounced around at jobs but I think this one will stick, and how I had been to iowa for some family funerals. I said I am reborn, much like when I moved to Minnesota over a decade ago. because my life was only beginning then, and in many ways this is true again.
   in the first segment after lunch it was an open forum to air any issues about the training, and many of us did, saying we prefer more exposure to the actual work. then we reviewed some more recorded calls, leading to a better understanding of how we navigate the system. I found where the potluck section was, a small corner. there was a variety of chips and cookies, along with a bottle of apple juice from cub foods, although it was labeled as apple cider.
   in the evening I went to the performance venue, and was show closer. I saw a performer who said she hadn't been onstage in a year, I think it was somebody who had moved to California where she has family. I recall sharing a photo of them on facebook from a mic that was run by the resistable comic. the fireplace was on at this venue, since it is cold outside, and I liked warming my hands on it after the show was done. I spoke about it during my set, as it was straight back from where I was standing on the stage.

active participant

At work I enjoyed training more today, because we were active participants. a trainer had slips of paper we drew and each was a scenario we looked up in the system. they were based on actual calls and whoever drew them was the 'pilot' so it meant sitting up front at the computer there. in some cases i said 'you were looking in my direction' as to why i drew one. at lunch i said it reminded me of church, in terms of some things i liked more than others. i liked the hymns more than the scriptures for the same reason- as i liked being a more active participant. at the end of the day we had what appears to be the final accountability session, out of five. i haven't seen the value yet in this part of the training, and when it spoke of how one can help with getting certified i said i would look to more than jsut one person to help. especially when i haven't met most of my neighbors yet.
   riding the bus in the morning, I spoke with somebody in the back when they asked me about a store they saw. i said it would be opening next week. what i like is being able to find common ground with people i barely know. we all need the staples of life, food and clothing, and this is a good place to being. in the evening i voted after i got off work. i liked how it didn't take long, since the precinct was nearby and there was just three things on the ballot. city council, school board, and the trash referendum. then i went to perform, and i think i was the last one of the night. it was a back and forth with the show runner, who liked hearing about the karaoke stories. i did not order anything, usually i have a drink, but there was nobody there to take my order. so i went to get a box of popcorn at candyland after the show, where an employee told me some stories about the charlie brown statues. and i took a good look around the inside of the store, impressed with how they had some st paul saints popcorn tins.
  I know I am going to see all kinds of things due to riding the bus again for work. on the way home I saw a woman sitting on a bench near a bus stop and her face was bloody, and there was blood on the pavement as well. a man was next to her with a phone. I said 'this is something I can't un-see'.

choose your own adventure

most of the training today at work was lecture, in the basement. it was about property taxes. when it would often re-direct to another form, it reminded me of 'choose your own adventure'. at one point the main trainer stepped out and another one filled in for a few minutes. then when he returned he did most of the talking while sitting down. something about taking a drink and then feeling sick. a classmate was trying to make a joke when he returned from lunch about thinking he would be leaving early. but that is not the kind of thing that I would make jokes about.
    I performed at an alternate venue tonight. it was after seeing brawler at the comedy club, who offered cupcakes. they had oreo cookie crumbs on top, they tasted good. I did not see anyone I know where I ended up performing. I got annoyed when somebody was trying to tell a stale world war two joke. while at the venue I checked my voicemail, surprised to get 3 messages. but they were largely meaningless. first was a hang-up, second was a duplicate of an email, third was from a campaign as there is an election on Tuesday. but they've already sent me plenty of mail.
   I am getting used to taking the bus to and from work, once again. on the way home I saw some young men in the back with a bag of snack food from Walgreen- doritos, cheez-it crackers, and pop tarts. it reminds me of how I often get snack food there as well.

abandoned air conditioner

I had to do laundry today, and walking between home and the laundromat while waiting for it to finish I saw an abandoned air conditioning unit next to a dumpster. I got a picture of it, and one big reason why was seeing the brand name on it- maytag. this was my dad's company. I am not sure where these units were made. but not necessarily in the same town as the laundry equipment. I know I could bring a book to read, but I like the walking for exercise.
   the day started with me taking the rental car back, after going to the gas station first so I could return it with a full tank. there was a wait to take the bus home after returning, since it is sunday. I was one of five when the bus left the stop I boarded. I passed by a TV and a pro football game was on, it was the 'London game', Texans-jaguars.
   after I got back from doing laundry, it was time for lunch. I had the Vikings-chiefs game on, it was halftime, tied 10-10. but I was tired and fell asleep, and missed much of the second half, the Vikings lost 26-23. I shut it off because I needed to get other things done, such as checking email, before watching 'the simpsons'. it was about bart and lisa freeing zoo animals, and jane Goodall was a guest star. then I did a long walk around the neighborhood, as usual it was helpful to clear my mind. it meant making a list when I got back, with the things I needed to get done. I did the dishes, and got more comedy souvenirs into a binder.

hillstrom art, gustavus adolphus

i drove to st. peter today to see an art exhibit at the college, gustavus Adolphus. it was about art from the depression era, the 1930s. one of them was on the TV show 'cheers'. I liked how they alternated on the wall between paintings and photography. there was mention of grant wood, the painter of 'American gothic', but none of his paintings were there. I stopped at the godfather's pizza to have the lunch buffet before I went to see the art. I considered going to new ulm as well, to pick up some postcards, but scrapped it- not enough time. I bought three postcards at a souvenir shop at the college, in the same building where the art was found. it appeared to be the student union. this made it hard to find at first. I checked the directory, couldn't find it under the gallery name. it was under 'art buildings' and then I found it under another name. there was a football game happening when I arrived, the home team was up 21-0, playing Carleton, but I did not see any of the game. I drove down for a different reason. I looked around at the gallery for two hours and then drove home.
    I made it back in time to get a sandwich at a gas station, then do the other thing on my list- see a play at Roseville high school. it was an adaptation of 'working' by studs terkel. I liked the people telling their stories more than the musical numbers. no complaint about the price of admission either, I paid for a general admission seat, five dollars, but an employee encouraged me to move up just before it started so I did. after that I checked email when I got home. then after the local news it was on to sing some karaoke. I did two songs, 'evil woman' by ELO, and 'team' by lorde. I think I have a fan now, from the booth near the karaoke jockey. I was friended on facebook and I was requested to be an escort on getting home, a short walk to a nearby complex. I liked the chance to chat up who I was escorting.

pumpkin spice cereal

I went to Walgreen for my weekly order after work. one of the things I picked up was pumpkin spice cereal, Kellogg's frosted mini wheats. it was not on sale, although it was in the seasonal aisle with many other things discounted since it is now after Halloween. not a big deal though. it tasted good when I had some after getting home. of course I picked up a paper as well, so I have the movie times for the weekend. I picked up 6 pieces of candy, 2 of them reese's peanut butter and the other 4 were Russell stover. and I had to get some string cheese. the cereal serves as the replacement for the normal single serving of mini-donuts.
   at work we had a team building event at the end of the day, about communication. it made sense since we will be on the phones with taxpayers. this also led to re-arranging the tables in the training room in the basement. I went to HR to ask for information on the first break about the short term disability coverage, and four flyers were given. I was also told they were in the new hire orientation packet, so on another break I checked them and returned the three I already had. the first day was a blur and I pulled those out. so hopefully I will find the time soon to look at them. although I really like walking during lunchtime, and today was no different.
   in the evening I read some from a book, a graphic novel adaption of 'working' by studs terkel. I wanted to get primed for seeing the play this weekend. I meant finding it in one of my bookcases first, but I guessed well so it didn't take long. then after the news was done I went to sing some karaoke. I did two songs tonight, a light crowd, and the karaoke jockey encouraged me to do a second one for this reason. it was 'owner of a lonely heart' by yes, and 'welcome to the black parade' by my chemical romance.