chips ahoy chunky cookies

 i opened the package of chips ahoy chunky cookies and had about half of them as part of dinner tonight. they are king size and 8 per package, bought at the holiday gas station and in the closeout bin. many of them were broken, but i did my best to estimate how much was half and will have the rest on friday. there is mention of 'exclusive free in-game content' from halo infinite on the package, and offer that ended in late february. this is a video game i had never heard of. the cookies tasted fine, not a big deal that the cookies were mostly broken as they were discounted. also with dinner, i drank a can of hamm's beer. in the evening i went on a walk and found 74 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when amy was drunk in the parking lot of a liquor store. before then she was playing 'everybody hurts' by REM on her harp. it was funny that sheldon said 'she sounds weepy' before going in. it was due to bernadette and penny not inviting her when they went dress shopping. it was followed by the one where kripke teaches fencing to the friends, and finds out amy is available but is turned down. at work it was a fairly ho-hum day, still waiting to hear when a technician is arriving for installation of the maintenance kit on the main check printer. i also decided to replace a plastic document holder because it was cracked, due to overloading it. no problem finding a replacement for it. the check shop seems to be a dumping ground for many supplies. i found the replacement in 'the back room' where i sometimes take lunch if i am trying to get caught up on work. plenty of used cartridges there as well. 

raid commercials

 one can find just about anything on youtube. lately i have been watching plenty of commercials for raid, 'it kills bugs dead'. i do recall some of them when i was young, how they were animated and it was funny to hear the bugs say 'raid?' just before they get sprayed. i even saw one in french, it was from quebec. 

at work there was a dial-in meeting at mid-morning that lasted an hour, i think it was one of those quarterly meetings about how the business is doing. there was mention of the president's cabinet. i picked up a box that was likely the maintenance kit that had just been ordered. now it is a matter of updating the ticket and letting them know it arrived, as a technician will be needed for installation. in the evening i went on a walk and found 75 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when brent spiner was a guest star, appearing at a party held by wil wheaton. it was followed by the ones where sheldon interviews some possible roommates. raj and howard perform at stuart's comic book store. the second one i might not have seen before. i know i had seen the first. i also watched some of the president's speech to congress, but i was laying down so we all know how it ended- i fell asleep. so this explains why i saw a promo for 'the conners' last week that made no mention of a new episode for this week. 

mcdonald's door dash

when i was leaving work i saw a bag from mcdonald's, delivered by door dash. the receipt said a crispy chicken sandwich was in there. i got a picture of it and left. i found it odd that it was left by the front door, as i figured that delivery would be asked to leave it with somebody. also at work i got another order placed for supplies, in this case it was the maintenance kit for the check printer. although it was taking too long, first 15 minutes on hold and then more than 30 minutes to open the ticket. during that time i also kept saying 'i can hear you fine' after the agent came back from putting me on hold. eventually they just called me and finished the ticket opening. in the evening i went on a walk, after i got back from performing, and found 26 cents. when i was out walking i was going through a strip mall and somebody asked me a question. at first i didn't hear them well enough so i said 'huh?' their question was if i had a light, i said no. it has been working fine on what i have been doing with the coins i am finding. some are going towards chips from the vending machine at work, some are going for beer, and some get deposited into my savings account at the credit union. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when sheldon's mom visits and she wants to go sight-seeing. eventually sheldon finds this intolerable and gets sick by getting a cold from being out in the rain. it may have been intentional as he was happy because his mom finally fussed over him. then it was time to get to the venue. i didn't know that many of the other performers, much like when i was there 3 months earlier, besides the mc who was the same person. i was annoyed by somebody who wasn't listening too well when i was ordering a beer at the bar, and the same was true with another performer when i came out to the bar after my set. i like being able to reflect on what i have done, and this performer kept wanting to talk to me about his set and kept using the same swear word. eventually he got the message how i wanted to be left alone. 

chocolate pretzel pop tarts

 this morning i had chocolate pretzel pop tarts for breakfast. found them in the closeout bin at the holiday gas station. they tasted fine. odd how the 'kellogg's' logo is not on the package though. at the end of the workday somebody rang the check shop doorbell and i was confused. asked if they were picking up mail tubs and they kept contradicting themselves, said they just wanted information. in the evening i went on a walk and found 50 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj met emily, who is deaf. and sheldon decided to make decisions through rolling the dice, eventually telling the friends that raj's family is rich. it is followed by the one where sheldon does a 'fun with flags' episode about breakups to annoy amy. more notable things about work was getting things crossed off my list, three out of four. an oil change appointment, shipping supplies, and a day off from work next month. i did a virtual open-mic in the evening, the MC responded to the story about discovering the meaning of a tribe's name in french. i was spurred to look it up after seeing the tribe's name on a check at work. 

crisis movie

just before midday i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'crisis'. it was about the opioid epidemic, a fictionalized drug. the movie takes place in montreal and detroit. i recognized greg kinnear in it, who played a university official. gary oldman was in it as a university professor overseeing the testing of the drug. some other characters were part of a sub-plot to the movie, a DEA agent posing as a drug dealer. and a mom whose son dies due to drugs in detroit and goes to montreal to get revenge. it in many ways reminded me of a movie called 'traffic' with michael douglas many years ago. oh, another part of the plot was the DEA agent whose sister is an addict and he rescues her. it was long, just under 2 hours, but it held my attention so i didn't mind. these are the kind of stories that need to be told. 

this afternoon i also did laundry, although it became more of an adventure than it normally is. i went to the closest laundromat to me and had it all ready to go, two machines loaded up and the soap in, then i go to the change machine and it is out of change so a no-go. so it went to the next-closest one, also within walking distance, and that place had enough change so i did it there. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 55 cents. 'the simpsons' was a rerun, about cletus becoming a musician. after it was done i called my college roommate for advice on a recurring thing, said i needed to write it down. it proved to be really helpful. he spoke of getting nasty voicemails from an ex-mother-in-law. also mention of eventually inviting me over sometime for grilling, i would like that. 

vaccine #1, wilkins auditorium

 this evening i got covid vaccine #1 at wilkins auditorium in downtown st. paul. this was not my first visit to this venue. i had seen some concerts there- 311 in 2005, and smashing pumpkins in 2007- as well as some boxing matches in 2007. when the guard heard this on the way in, he said 'this event will help bring back the concerts'. i was checked in by somebody that also does comedy, but i didn't know the dude. he said he started doing stand-up just a few months before the pandemic hit, and had moved from arizona, so this might be why. like most people, i have attended way more events at the hockey arena, the xcel center, in the same complex. the second vaccine will be in the same complex, but sounds like it will be moved to the river center. notable about what i saw while there was the bust of civil-rights leader roy wilkins, the venue's namesake, with a mask on. not the first time i had seen an image of a famous person used to promote mask wearing. also a cardboard cutout of basketball star shaquille o'neal, at office depot/office max stores, as well as the statue of 'linus' (from the 'charlie brown and snoopy' comic strip) in sleepy eye, MN. i got some pictures of the signs before going in, but once i saw one that said 'no photography' i didn't take any inside where the vaccines were actually taking place. 

this was an active day in more ways than one. i moved up going to the post office to check for e-bay orders, all three postcards were there. i wanted to be ready for the call on doing some overtime at the bank. i got the call around midday, and went in for just over an hour, printing some test checks. but it looks like there is a problem with boxes around the digits. when i was driving home i finally stopped to get a look at a display about the mills in the hiawatha/minnehaha corridor. it was on the facade of a housing complex. it spoke of 10 mill buildings, 6 of which are still standing, from various companies such as ADM, cargill, general mills, ralston purina, and cenex harvest states. the housing complex is built on the site of one of the four demolished mills, the site was cleared in 2010. i also moved up going to aldi, for my weekly grocery order. after i was done with the vaccine, i picked up a redbox movie. on the way to the venue, i heard 'airplanes' by bob and hayley williams on my car radio. i like that one, since the lyrics include 'rapping to stay relevant'. i searched the song on youtube and found there is a part two, that includes eminem. i am not too familiar with hayley williams, but wikipedia said she is the frontwoman for the band paramore. just after i had posted on facebook about being at wilkins, i got a call from my dad. this call went better than the one from nearly a week ago. later on i went on a walk and found 76 cents. 

cheesecake factory brown bread

 this morning i finished up the dinner rolls i had bought at hy-vee a week earlier. this was the cheesecake factory brown bread. these rolls tasted fine, i would have them with the cereal. i like how some of the food found at chain restaurants can sometimes be found at grocery stores. i had tried some of the pudding from this place as well, since i was able to find it at aldi. i will admit i was more interested in trying it due to TV. for a while, the 'penny' character from 'big bang theory' worked at the cheesecake factory. there was 8 wheat rolls in the package, and it was made by bimbo bakehouse in pennsylvania. it still makes me laugh a little see the name 'bimbo' on a food company, since it can mean 'an attractive but unintelligent woman'. wikipedia said the spanish version of this word, for the bread company, is a blend of the words 'bingo' and 'bambi'. 

at work i did a partial sorting of the mail, and noticed this does take care of most of what is going to be sent to my department. there was more people than usual in the breakroom when i was at lunch, i was the fourth, and one of them was on the phone to her kid's school possibly. i performed this evening at a micro-brewery as some stage time was offered by the yemen native. found out he was going to be performing in fargo. i was one of two doing a guest set, the other has a cousin that once pitched for the saints. felt good being up there, i said after i was done that it was way more fun than virtual performing. i was familiar with the other three performers, the headliner was announced as somebody who had been at brave new workshop before starting stand-up. i liked her jokes about doing a country club fundraiser show, the contrast between her job and her husband's, and about a dog finding a squirrel. she was known for singing a duet with her husband. feature performer does a joke about yoda from 'star wars', and the MC dates a performer whose grandpa played gopher hockey. she did one about the movie 'taken', as well as 'armageddon'. when the microphone and the stand was being wiped down before my set, i said 'sign of the times'. when somebody was leaving they said they enjoyed my set, and this was while i taking a picture of a cartoon about the pandemic that was in the brewery's main room. hard to say what joke of mine got the most reaction, but i started off with the one about seeing a comment card from performing at the same venue where i was called 'awkward'. i know i will be helped by music on remembering this night of performing, as i heard 'blue eyes crying in the rain', willie nelson version, from the new prague radio station when driving home. after i got home i eventually went on a walk and found 28 cents. i watched one 'big bang theory' rerun before going to the venue, it was about amy and leonard attending a wedding. 

flames, david guetta and sia

 when i was at walgreen in the early afternoon to get a snack i liked what i was hearing inside the store. i made a note of some key lyrics, 'keep those tears at bay', and when i searched it online i found out it was 'flames' by david guetta and sia. the video does remind me of another sia song, 'alive', as one sees martial arts in practice. although in this video it is multiple women instead of just a young boy, and we see david guetta and danny trejo in the video along with the women. i was moved because of the powerful message of 'just keep moving.' at work there was no team huddle, and it was a low volume of checks to print. i got the door tag to the facility manager, and found a second one on a different door but he said he just needed the first one. in the evening i went to hy-vee, moving it up one day as i was offered some stage time. i also went on a walk and found 21 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when penny said 'what's up buttercup' about the chair she claimed. it was followed by a season finale, where leonard and penny decide to elope in las vegas, while sheldon and amy split. 

water meter door tag

 when i was leaving work today i saw a door tag related to the water meters. i went back inside to put it in my department's mail slot. i will have to figure out how to contact the facility manager about it as i had seen some things earlier about it that i have forwarded on. another notable thing about the day at work was having a meeting around midday about the test project for the weekend. looks like it will be over well before my vaccine appointment as it was said it must be over by 5pm. in the evening i went on a walk and found 31 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were about raj writing 'bernadette and clarinet'. also about sheldon insulting the geology department during paintball gaming. it was followed by the one about the mothers of sheldon and leonard meeting when the two friends got an award. 'the conners' had another storyline about becky being in rehab. the scene where dan and becky talk about her husband mark's death had a lot of passion in it and i wiped away a tear after it. the show is f/k/a 'roseanne' and i recall 'roseanne' being a realistic look at a working class family. it was why i liked it and didn't like it, both at the same time. so i like how the continuation of the show still has the same spirit. 

roots of rural/urban divide

 i watched another lecture on zoom this evening from the minnesota historical society. it was 'the roots of the rural/urban divide', from a professor from miami of ohio. i wrote down plenty of notes, he covered various things i had heard of before. some of these were FDR's New Deal, the new york world's fair of 1939, farm aid in the 1980s, and the industrial revolution along with urban renewal as well as the interstate highway system. i am thankful i got to see it. i did ask a question but very few were covered, and mine wasn't answered. it was about the chicago world's fair, in the same decade as new york's. i also went on a walk and found 23 cents. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when priya's parents said she was coming back to india. i watched only one tonight because of this lecture. i also got an email saying i won the lottery for a covid vaccine. so i now have the two scheduled, the first is this weekend and the other three weeks after that. just before i left work this afternoon i saw the news about the verdict in the george floyd case, and then many of the postings on facebook were about it. 

switch to ACH

 i saw a big check to print in one of the files at work around midday, it was for over $14 million. there was an overnight request but we can't overnight to a PO BOX. at first i was told it was fine to send it by regular mail, but didn't want to send such a big check that way. i was advised to consult with my manager, who was not available later in the day, so i found the lieutenant who said it would be sent by ACH. and it meant voiding the check. i feel way better going this route as i figured there was too much of a chance the recipient would say they didn't get it in the mail. it may have been the largest amount i've seen while working there. i have seen ones for over a million, but not this much. in the evening i went on a walk and found 7 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns included my favorite one, when howard's mom is in the hospital. it is where the mom said 'i want to see the little catholic girl first' and bernadette said 'me?' it is followed by one i hadn't seen before, which is a rare one. it shows sheldon on a video and then aliens react to it, after the friends collaborate on a project. i did a virtual open-mic as well, notable was hearing from a fellow performer about campus pizza. i told the story about how it was a venue i performed at and it serves as a powerful reminder of how i decided to become more serious about performing, trying to seek out stage time more often. 

simulated twins game, alternate site

 i went to the saints stadium before midday to see the simulated twins baseball game at their alternate training site. i was there shortly after the gates opened, and got to see calisthenics and batting practice. the simulated game lasted just over an hour, and ended when the manager announced from the dugout 'that's it'. there were plenty of things that said this was just a practice. there wasn't a 9-player defense in the field, just 3 infielders and 2 outfielders. not all players had official game uniforms on, no PA announcer, no scoreboard used, and home runs didn't mean circling the bases. along with just one umpire. i am thankful i went, as a big baseball fan i said i had been to spring training only once and that was 15 years ago. it will have to do until i make it back to florida. it was a cheap ticket, i ended up paying more for the hot dog i ate while i was there. i bought one item from the souvenir shop as well, a wooden magnet with a quote from bill veeck on it. after the game i went to the walgreen in downtown st. paul just blocks from the stadium and got some juice as well as some charlie brown stickers. then it was on to candyland to get a box of popcorn. then i left downtown and got some toothpaste at a little target store. i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 23 cents. late in the evening i called my dad, but like many other calls with him i got annoyed with the topics he chose to discuss, some of them were subjects from a long time ago. 'the simpsons' was about lisa going to a music festival with an imaginary friend. 

songbird movie

 watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental this morning, 'songbird'. i recognized demi moore in it. this was a movie about the covid pandemic, showing it as worse than the current situation such as sending people to quarantine zones. there is also boxes that deliveries must be run through. the main character is a delivery man, who was working as a paralegal in a law office before the pandemic. he is willing to do anything for love, so this does sound like a 'romeo and juliet'- type story. the police department has been essentially replaced by the 'sanitation department' and most people are not allowed to leave their homes. other characters shown throughout the movie are a record executive- demi plays his wife- and a war veteran who uses drones for the delivery company, as well as a musician holed up in a hotel who broadcasts online. they do show somebody being hauled off the the 'q zone'- it is the grandma of the delivery man's love interest. this is after they do virus checks by smart phone. 

after the movie was done i went to the credit union for an appointment to get started on a certificate of deposit. the funds were of course taken from the savings account. i was asked plenty of questions about my finances, not sure how necessary this was but i think it was trying to sell more products. i chose a one-year term on the certificate but might decide on a longer term when it is up for renewal. it is set up for automatic renewal. i know i will like getting higher interest payments this way. then it was on to the post office, where two orders of postcards were there for pickup. the third is still on the way. when i got home i placed two more postcard orders on e-bay. then it was time to take recycle to a place near the capitol, and to the speedway gas station near the saints stadium for lunch. i got a sandwich, chips, and a smoothie much like last week. i was able to get into the college baseball game, hamline vs. macalester. it was a double-header but i stayed only for the first game. hamline won 5-2. i walked away with a foul ball, nice how i had no competition for it. when i arrived at the game i was asked to sign in with my name and phone number for contact tracing purposes. then i went to the armenian church to pick up a food order, they were having a festival, i got the pork kebob meal. i had it with a can of summit beer for the evening meal. this was done after going to aldi for my weekly grocery order. in the evening i watched some boxing on fox. there was three matches shown, no knockouts, these were lower weight classes such as welterweight. during my walks i found 1 dollar 69 cents. 

small police convention

 this evening when i was at the holiday gas station picking up a redbox movie i saw four police cars in the lot, three of them state troopers. and closer to the machine i saw five officers in a circle, some were holding coffee. so to me it was a small 'police convention'. i just went about my business and wasn't thete for long. next was the hy-vee in eagan, where i bought two beers from their liquor store and then went to get my weekly grocery order. later on i went on a walk and found 52 cents. i saw somebody walking on the railroad tracks and they spoke to me, i said i was just enjoying a good walk. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon invented 3-person chess, and bernadette tried being a spy. it wad followed by the one where howard met his half-brother, and sheldon built a fort for him and amy. at work i put out another box to be picked up, a toner cartridge for recycling. per the advice of a different employee in payroll, the box was put in a different place. i went through the incoming mail tub and took out what i knew was for my department- mostly returned checks- although i had to return three items to the mailroom when i realized i claimed a small number of items for a different department. 

2 tornado test sirens

 there was 2 tornado test sirens today, one of them was in the afternoon when i was at lunch. i knew it would be happening as i heard it on the radio. the other was in the evening and i was at home by then. nobody came to get me when i was at work so i guess i didn't need to take cover. at the same time, there hasn't been much of a headcount in the building for a while. the team huddle was canceled as the boss is not at work. a colleague let me know after i logged in as i was still getting the online reminders. another colleague still logged in like i did. so i just went back to work. watching the news tonight, i was intrigued by one segment. it was about an underground tunnel in alton, illinois, near st. louis. it had just been discovered. the man who owns the land it is on was wearing a cardinals shirt. in the evening i went on a walk and found 58 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon blackmails leonard on the roommate agreement. amy has a smoking monkey in her home, and she goes with her friends to a dance club. it was followed by the one where sheldon and leonard go to the george lucas ranch and the security team uses a stun gun on sheldon. after work i went to the liquor store near my home and got another can of beer from the closeout cart, a summit. i will drink it with dinner sometime in the upcoming week. 

venmo pre-order

 i have attended a festival before at an armenian church and there is another event this weekend. i saw the event invite on facebook. i can pre-order food there through venmo, which i hadn't heard of. i have paypal, and what i found online is that it is a mobile payment service owned by paypal. what i have works fine on paying for e-bay and amazon orders so i don't see myself getting venmo. especially when the festival also accepts paypal. 

work went fine today, the last of the supply orders arrived, 10 boxes of envelopes. the guard rang the doorbell to let me know about it so i met them at the branch. he had to move the truck to the lower level first, and i knew when he was there as i could still see it from the top of the glass as it is the only part that wasn't boarded up. much like before, i only sign the form once i have all of the order. all of it fit on the cart so i only had to wheel it through the branch once. i asked a colleague what was to be done with a magazine addressed to somebody that wasn't listed in the directory, it was about investments. eventually i dumped it back in the mailroom in the foundation tray where another magazine with the same name on it was found. at lunch i briefly spoke with somebody from h.r. when i said i had visited florida, she said she had as well, for a volleyball tournament. i rarely see others in the breakroom when i am lunching. my boss's boss sent an instant message to check in and i said things were fine. a little un-nerving seeing the branch boarded up but i have to ignore it and get my work done. in the evening i went on a walk and found 64 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when howard proposed to bernadette, while sheldon and amy did a gossip experiment. it was followed by the one where the friends eat the last meal prepared by howard's mom. 'the conners' showed becky at rehab, leaving then returning. 

text arrived, going in

 i had to wait to hear if the office was open this morning. i was told there would be a meeting attended by my boss's boss. there was a text saying 'waiting to hear more' and I said 'eating cereal, have not left yet'. shortly thereafter i got a text saying i can go in. i arrived 30 minutes after my typical start time, and the fax of ACH statements scanned to another department was not there so i let them know about it. when i drove in i saw how some businesses were boarded up, including the bank i work at. some of these boarded up businesses were in the strip mall across the road from my workplace, and i got a look at them. one was a cell phone shop where a sign on the plywood said 'store is empty'. i was able to finish everything except one big file in the afternoon, over a thousand checks, and i can do that one the next morning. i got an email saying the check stock order was likely at the branch, based on who had signed for it last week. i had been using from the 'back up table' and was nearly out. the security guard said he went by a different name, and they directed me to an empty cube in the branch. the 45 boxes from this order were dumped there. so i got out a cart and found the time to move the boxes to the check shop, no more than 12 at a time. i let them know when they passed by and had a box of pizza that it is fine to ring the check shop doorbell to let me know about it as my name was on some of those boxes. there was still a curfew tonight but it started later, at 10pm instead of 6pm. so i went out on a walk in the evening and found 47 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when penny kicked a dude in the groin and said 'give him his stuff back'. it was followed by the one where sheldon spoke of filing an application to be part of colonizing mars. raj was caught snooping on emily, after asking howard and bernadette for help on covering it up. 

back by midday

 this was a weird day for work. i go in as usual and after arrival i see emails and text messages saying the office was closed for the morning. so i worked for one hour and left after hearing from my boss's boss on instant messaging who said 'you need to go'. i drove home, was there for an hour, and then saw a text saying i could return to the site. i charged my phone up during my time at home. i also sent an email to a friend in st. louis. when i got back, just before midday, i think i was the only one there, as the branch was closed. during my lunchtime walk i saw two branch customers asking if it was closed. deliveries still happened, got another toner cartridge for the check printer. and my logo shop order, the long sleeve shirt. i was there kind of late getting things caught up and saw the UPS driver, as i needed a few minutes to get the last of the overnight packages ready. i had the labels with me, just needed to close the envelopes. also saw a cleaning lady, who was at first wondering if i was fine with her not wearing a mask. she spoke of a curfew taking effect at 7pm, she hoped to be out by then. i said i was going to be out in a few minutes, drove home and was there before curfew began. this was due to another officer-involved shooting. the local sports teams- the twins, wolves, and wild- all postponed games scheduled for today. i am told there will be a meeting in the morning, and will find out by then if the office will be open. i know the mail tubs were picked up, and i put the cart back inside the check shop before leaving. usually the cart is put away in the morning, especially if i leave before the tubs are picked up. i fell asleep after having dinner and woke up after the virtual open-mic began. i still performed, but it was mostly storytelling as i wasn't in the mood for jokes. most of the stories were about things that happened a while back, many years ago, inspired by people asking 'are you all right?' as well as being sent home from work early. 

beyond the sea movie

 i watched a DVD movie at midday today, a recent amazon purchase, 'beyond the sea'. i recognized kevin spacey, john goodman, and bob hoskins in it. goodman was why i bought it, he plays a supporting role as the manager and is listed third in the cast. i do like musician bio-pics, and i do recall this one being at theaters but it was in limited release and that was a big reason why i didn't see it then. this one was a little different, as it was an older bobby darin telling his life story and at times getting help from 'little bobby' to tell the story. he was married to sandra dee, and they depict their meeting in italy when filming a movie with rock hudson. it did give some good insight on the times, not just his life. such as when he takes off much of the 1960s to raise his young son and the world was changing with the war in vietnam, as well as the music industry changing. bobby liked playing in nightclubs, and the rage became playing in stadiums. i know this was true for the beatles, playing concerts in baseball and football stadiums. early on they talk some about frank sinatra, as bobby wanted to be as big as sinatra. the title is derived from one of his songs, which is common for a bio-pic about a musician. i mainly know him for 'mack the knife', as it inspired the mcdonald's commercial 'mac tonight' with the moon playing the piano. the movie was filmed in great britain and germany, according to the closing credits. 

also notable about the day was doing an in-person open-mic at a park near the mississippi river. this was the mic done by the m.c. who has been doing the virtual mic. i liked seeing the mad hatter there, and at first i forgot his name as it had been just over a year since i had seen him. of course this was due to the pandemic. he was wearing a patchwork jacket that he said was found at a resale shop. there was goodies, and i had some. there was angie's kettle corn, and chocolate wafers from palestine. i used the lawn chair that i keep in the back of my car for the first time in a long while, it was a good time to use it. earlier in the day i was doing research and found out more about hamline baseball. they did play at the saints stadium on saturday, but it was a different opponent than was listed in the original schedule. there was some press releases about the schedule change that i didn't read before departing for the venue. so i may want to try again later this month to see one of their games, and check the website before i go. the doubleheader started two hours later, so this would have been about the time i was leaving downtown after my walk. i did do a walk this evening and found 62 cents. 

paydirt movie

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'paydirt'. i recognized val kilmer in it, who played the sheriff. his daughter, mercedes, is also in it, in a small role, playing his daughter, who just became the district attorney. the movie is classified as a thriller, about trying to find millions of dollars buried in the desert. and what adds to the story is how there are rival gangs. there were some flaws found in the filming though, as one scene shows the nameplates of city government officials in the hall of a building where one was looking for drug enforcement agency computer files. oops. when the ending is reached, the loose ends are tied up in terms of explaining how things were inter-related. i guess another heist movie did this as well, 'ocean's 11', but this is no 'ocean's 11' by any means. it was all right but not great. as usual i am thankful that i don't pay much for one night on a redbox rental. the gang members all had nicknames, such as 'the don, babe, bitch, brit, brains, and brawn'. and these names are shown when they first appear. 

once the movie was done i accomplished plenty. i dumped the movie at the gas station and went to spire credit union in eagan. i dumped the check from closing my savings account at another bank there, and now i have enough for a certificate of deposit. but i found out i needed to make an appointment for a week from now to get that done. the lady in front if me in line had just withdrawn hundreds of dollars and seemed clueless. it was taking longer than it should but i said nothing as i wasn't in a rush to get anywhere. next i went to the nearby walgreen and got more discounted easter candy. and i got more of the lady gaga oreo cookies. i think i am fine now with goodies. i have two packages of lady gaga oreos, one box of girl scout cookies, and a bag of the easter treats. this should last me for more than a month. i went to the post office box and both e-bay orders, postcards, were there. when i got home i placed orders for three more postcards. 

  i wasn't home for long as i wanted to get to the saints stadium and watch the hamline baseball game. this was a no-go, as the gates were locked and it sounded like they were just practicing. it wasn't a wasted trip though, as i also wanted to get to the ticket office and i now have a ticket for a session of alternate spring training, for just over a week later. i wanted to get my money's worth on the parking fee so i walked around downtown st. paul for a while, about two hours. and i think i did, as i found 29 cents. but the most valuable thing may not have been the money that i found. there was food as well. i claimed a granola bar at a bus stop. and there was 14 little tubs of honey nut cheerios near the hockey arena. it was awkward carrying the cereal at first, then i found a plastic bag a block or so later. i snapped plenty of photos as well, and i ate the granola bar when i got home. i got a look at all of the photos, and three in particular were notable to me. what i ate from the speedway gas station near the saints stadium. the stage at mears park. there was a schedule posted, but it was from september. and there was what sounded like opera music playing from the speakers. finally it was seeing the hash tag 'save our stages' from palace theater. it is a reminder of how live event venues are still closed due to the pandemic. in the evening i went to aldi for the weekly grocery order and saw a stretch limousine in the parking lot. i also went to the nearby liquor store and got a can of hamm's beer. i drank one of the cans of schell's with dinner, so i still have three beers waiting. 

left near front door

 at work i went on a lunchtime walk, and when i returned from it i saw 2 boxes left near the front door. it was envelopes i had ordered. i figured they would have been left farther inside, such as at the delivery table. i left two toner cartridges for recycle next to this table, and was told a larger 'please pick up' sign was needed than the one i put on it. things hummed along well, got caught up early on running through over a thousand checks printed late thursday from the jacksonville business line. in the evening i went on a walk and found 91 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon tries to have his own party after his friends decide to go to raj and priya's. i like it because it includes karaoke, although sheldon does not participate in this activity. it was followed by the one where the comic book store re-opens, and howard's mom passed. when i went to hy-vee in eagan for my weekly grocery order i stopped at the liquor department first and got two single cans of schell's and a bottle of paulaner. it is nice to try some different stores to see the variances in selection. it can be hard to find schell's at bars in this metro area so i usually just have it when i go to new ulm for oktoberfest. the paulaner has this theme, but when it is from munich this isn't too much of a stretch as the first oktoberfest was in that city. 

adding the mc

 i saw some private messages on facebook from the MC of the virtual open-mic i have been performing in. he wondered why we weren't facebook friends yet, good question. he was added right away, it was in relation to an event invite. i was making a mental note of the virtual events and searching for them when i knew they would be taking place. this event is in-person at a park this weekend. i said i had nothing planned just yet so it works out fine. i went on a walk in the evening and found 17 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when howard said 'i choose you' to bernadette but we found out she is really just replacing his mom. and his mom keeps asking if he is a sex criminal when he shows up. it is followed by the one where sheldon and leonard are trolled by steve hawking. and the ladies take turns embarrassing each other with what they find online. it was penny's ape movie, bernadette at a beauty pageant, and amy doing fiction inspired by 'little house on the prairie' with sheldon being the inspiration as the time traveler. at work i placed an order at the logo shop. it was for one item, a long sleeve shirt with the bank's logo on it. i would have ordered more but i found out how much the shipping fees were, and i wanted to keep costs down. i had the gift card for $25, which covered most of it. some items of interest to me i found out were either out of stock or the size i wanted was not available. the toner cartridge for the check printer arrived, like many deliveries it was found at the branch. i went over there just before midday and my name was on the box. i claimed two other items while there. i knew the envelopes were refund checks that i needed to scan. i put the cartridge in the secondary printer and one check was printed so it seems fine. it remains it be seen as to if the other cartridge is being ordered as i really would like to have a spare one so there is no time when i would be stuck with using only one printer. 

ignore the arguing

 i was out on a walk in the evening and found 83 cents. during that walk i heard some arguing, and i told myself a long time ago the best thing to do during a domestic dispute is to ignore it and keep walking, so that is what i did. let them figure it out on their own. i hear the police do not like getting involved in a domestic dispute as it is a no-win situation. i figured if it got too far out of hand, somebody will call them, and then i wouldn't need to. before the walk i watched two episodes of 'the conners'. the first we see becky drinking again, at a laundromat, and shares some of the vodka with an older woman who has her own cup. in the second an intervention takes place and she is to be sent to rehab. there was a disclaimer during the show about where to call if one is having a drinking problem. other plots were about dan taking in old dogs because he needed the money after quitting work at the hardware store, and then working as a security guard. eventually he is given part-ownership of the store, but not 25 percent. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when mrs. latham meets leonard at a fundraiser, and leonard does the walk of shame but said he didn't do it for the money. it was followed by the one where sheldon drives himself crazy to try to be more productive in his science work, but it ends with him going to sleep while penny sings 'soft kitty'. at work i was given a tracking number for the toner cartridge, it is due to arrive by the end of the week. i scanned a bill of lading to customer service, and before getting a response i got an instant message from a v.p. who said he would send me a ups label to have it re-directed. so we won't be having somebody pick it up in person. 

alternate training sites

 i printed the schedule for the minnesota twins schedule for this month, at their alternate training site at the saints stadium in st. paul. i called the number for the saints ticket office in the morning and asked about the college baseball games, hamline, for this month as well. they are allowing fans and it is free admission. so i can see about getting a ticket before i enter for the hamline game. tickets for alternate training are five dollars, and there is a simulated game, and concession stands will be open. it was a struggle at work today, placed another order for a toner cartridge for the check printer and was asked on skype if it was a duplicate, it wasn't. but they are still not ordering for me when they say it was already ordered monday. i let my boss know, actually the lieutenant as my boss is on vacation, and a 'teams' meeting was held virtually. i did not go out for a walk in the evening due to the rain. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj had a fantasy about bernadette, and sheldon gave a lecture and the students said 'kmn'. it was followed by the one where sheldon bargains with leonard and penny on them moving out and living together. 

the logo shop

 i am currently reviewing my options on how to use the points i was sent last week, and found out there is enough for an order from the logo shop. this is where i found apparel, shirts i can wear to work. along with a few other items of interest. i had been getting amazon gift cards. i am aware that these are the same kind of shirts that a previous employer would just give to us. at the same time, this point system wasn't available for a while either, so it is a tradeoff in my book. i do see change banks listed, but i already have plenty of those. of course i would want any orders sent to my p.o. box. 

as for the rest of the work day, things hummed along fairly well except the file with the most overnight requests was delayed. when it arrived the first time all of the checks were blank, and the printable file was available at the end of the day. usually i can print it before lunchtime. the fedex shipment for the toner cartridge arrived near the end of the day, but it was the wrong one again. it was laser jet and i can't use that for check printing. i wonder who else i need to get involved to get the right kind. i told them what was needed and they STILL didn't sent the right one. i also briefly spoke with somebody who said she was in the check shop 9 years ago and is now in payroll. she said it was her first time in the office since november. in the morning a big shipment of envelopes arrived, and it was odd that the delivery man said 'you again'. this is the chatty one from a month ago. i was asked what i did for easter, i said i watched some DVD movies, same as most weekends during the pandemic. 

after work i made it over to the liquor store near my workplace. i got a can of leinenkugel and drank it with my dinner tonight. i also went on a walk in the evening and found 68 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the friends went to a symposium and ended up arguing about innuendo. it was followed by the one where sheldon said he was ending his flag show but eventually decided to re-start it. the other dudes were cleaning out the office of a colleague and kept a bottle of champagne. i made it to walgreen after watching the news and got some discounted easter candy. a thunderstorm i could tell was on the way and i made it home before it started, but decided to shorten the walk because of it. 

take this job and shove it movie

 i watched a DVD movie this morning, a recent purchase from e-bay, 'take this job and shove it'. i had a memory of hearing about this movie because it was filmed in iowa, which doesn't happen too often. and at one venue i performed at they had beer cans on display. one of them was from pickett's, the beer seen in this movie. hard to say what the lasting impression was of the movie, as it has likely been a while since i had seen it. but it may be when somebody tried to drink from a broken bottle, and their mouth was cut up. another would be trying to play football inside a bar, with a toilet paper roll as the ball. when i was in college i knew somebody that didn't like the scenes at the brewery's employee picnic, which included monster trucks and the main character drove the bigfoot truck. i know some of my classmates spoke of going 'mudding' with their trucks on the weekends, so what was depicted in that scene may not be too far from what some do. the mist vivid memory from seeing it before was robert hays saying 'you can take your job and shove it' and then throwing a bottle of beer in the air and seeing it break on the floor. there were plenty of musicians in this movie, including both who are known for the song that inspired the movie title. david allan coe, who wrote it, and johnny paycheck, best known for performing it. the former is somebody who sings at the bar, the latter is listed in the credits as 'man with hamburgers'. i had read about the dubuque star brewery, where it was filmed, and how the brewery no longer exists. but the building is on the national register of historic places, likely aided by having the movie being filmed there. i like seeing historic buildings, so on my next visit to the area i should try to see it. 

it was easter sunday, so i watched the church service on fox-9 TV, from our lady of grace in edina. later on in the afternoon i went on a long walk and found 21 cents, all pennies. in the evening i had hoped to see 'the simpsons' on fox but there was a documentary about a lion instead. so i put in lady gaga DVDs, 'monster ball tour' and 'star is born', as i hadn't seen the special features from either one yet. eventually i also did the dishes and recycle. 

wander movie

 this afternoon i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'wander'. i recognized tommy lee jones and heather graham in it. the premise is a paranoid conspiracy theorist that has a podcast, and is a private eye as well. he is hired to investigate the death of a girl in another town. in one scene i recognized a plastic shopping bag from the family dollar store. it was filmed in new mexico, and a disclaimer at the start of the movie wanted to let us know it was filmed on the tribal lands of the navajo, pueblo, and apache. since it was a thriller movie, it does keep you guessing for a while. but people are not who they seem to be, and eventually this is revealed. such as why they knew where the main character was without him saying anything to anyone. he is also haunted the memory of the death of his daughter, and what appears to be his wife who is now wheelchair bound due to the same car wreck that killed the daughter. 

this was an errand running day, and i accomplished plenty due to starting early. first stop was to the credit union, where i deposited change from the past three months once it was counted, over seven dollars. i went to a fedex to see who could help with a delivery at work, but by the end of the day i didn't get very far at all. so it is largely put on hold until monday. i also did a return and exchange at office max, unable to use the velcro cable ties bought there this week. the two-pack if scotch tape was less than a dollar more. then it was to the post office, and four orders, including all three DVDs, were there. i had a longer conversation with the loopy postal employee, i spoke about my line of work. guess there was more time for it as not many were in line. i went to the bank and closed the savings account, not too big of deal on getting it done. i was issued a check at the teller counter. so once i deposit the check at the credit union i will have enough for a certificate of deposit, which will yield more interest payments than the savings accounts did. and i bought four CDs at cheapo. the original plan was just two that i looked at last week, but i saw two more of interest and figured they may not be there if i wait to get them. this is especially true as i don't make it in that often. finally there was dropping off the recycle near the capitol. by the time i got home it was time for lunch, and it meant putting the home run inn pizza in the oven. once lunch was done i watched the movie, and laid down for a while after the movie. eventually i knew i had to get up and go to aldi for my weekly grocery order. when i got home it was time for dinner, and more pizza. and i then tuned in to the chicago wolves hockey game online as there was a free night of viewing. chicago beat rockford 4-2. i started watching during the first intermission, it was tied 1-1. the wolves led 3-2 at the end of the 2nd, the go-ahead goal was late in the 2nd. the final goal was on an empty net. it was a nice way to tune in to the game, hadn't done this before. i knew the wolves were playing at their practice facility, and it looked small, like a high school rink. there appeared to be some seating but not a lot. on the 'movies!' channel i watched some of 'kelly's heroes'. i liked the line by the general when he spoke about his communication officer should be able to communicate. and of course oddball, played by donald sutherland, was a lot of fun. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 97 cents. so i have started on the next collection for the change bank, and have enough for the next beer purchase. 

6 rolls of tape

 at work the supply orders are starting to trickle in. the first one, 6 rolls of tape, arrived. actually it was dumped at the branch and the branch manager brought it over. i went to the branch to drop off a w-9 form. i am still waiting for a fedex delivery to arrive, likely the toner cartridge for the check printer. when i checked the tracking number in the evening it said there was an 'attempt to deliver' but it was after the building was closed for the day. somebody in payroll kept saying 'sorry' when i spoke of it, as they are closer to the pickup and delivery table than i am. so it is back in maple grove and i am reviewing my options as to what i can do. i try not to 'take my work home' but i am aware of how important the check printers are. 

there was volleyball on in the evening instead of 'big bang theory' reruns so i switched it to the 'movies!' channel. since baseball just started their season they had some baseball movies on from the 1950s. first there was 'take me out to the ballgame' with frank sinatra and then 'angels in the outfield'. i watched parts of both, before and after i went to hy-vee for my weekly grocery order. while there i looked around at the liquor store that is attached to the grocery store, they have a wide selection. didn't buy anything this visit though. on the way home i picked up a fish fry dinner, the last of the season, from a restaurant. this one became art like the others, as i got a picture of it next to a can of labatt beer. later on i went on a walk and found 31 cents. 

out of love, alessia cara

 in the past week when i was walking past a coffee shop i heard a song and i couldn't identify it. but i said it sounded like alessia cara. i searched it when i got home and found out it was, and it is called 'out of love'. the lyrics say she won't do plenty of things, but will ask one question. the video shows her in what i counted to be four different outfits, at least, and just as many different scenes as well. the two most common is when she sings by herself in a red sweater,  and the other is in the front seat of a car in a denim top while a couple is in the back seat. yet another is in a dark room except for all of these candles. it is from an album called 'pains of growing'. i don't have that one, i have the earlier one, 'know it all'. 

it was a weird day at work, starting off with being the first car in the parking lot in the morning. usually that is not the case. at lunch the branch manager said it may just be me and the branch employees in the building. when i went out for a walk to get some snacks and a drink at walgreen i saw only one other car in the lot. my boss called me in the first hour and asked if i wanted to leave early as there was a protest planned at a nearby park in the evening. i stayed until my normal leave time as i had plenty of work to do, and it was 'much ado about nothing' on getting out of the area. no extra traffic. also during the day i added to the monthly supply order twice after the first submittal. first to say i needed cable ties for the mail tubs, and again for foundation envelopes as that business line sent us a file of well over 2 thousand checks. they hardly ever send checks, it is an unpredictable business line. in the evening i went on a walk and found 7 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj and howard argue about who is the sidekick, and amy is aroused by zach and keeps saying 'hoo'. it is followed by the one where there is a make-up prom, and it has all of the drama of a real prom.