back to back afternoon meetings

 at work there was back to back meetings in the afternoon, about the special project for the fargo checks. my boss was in the back room for the first one and the other i was a part of, and was with i.t. it meant i was behind on some of my duties but i got all of the checks out for the foundation by the end of the day, over 2,000 of them. i was offered a prize due to my hard work and i accepted, not knowing when a similar offer might happen again. there will be more information about it soon. in the evening i went on a walk and found 87 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon got drunk at a banquet and it was on youtube. it was followed by the one about 'may the fourth' where professor proton died. 'young sheldon' was back on after taking a break due to the college basketball tournament. we see paige, another younger than typical student like sheldon, in this one. i drank the can of sam adams with the evening meal so now there are 2 beers waiting. after work i stopped at mcdonald's for a shamrock shake, as it is the end of the month i figure this was the final day of the limited time offering of it. 

no belt on

 when i got to work this morning i finally noticed i had no belt on. i didn't mind that much as the pants still fit fine enough. i know why i did it, because the previous night when i went out for a walk it was raining and my clothes were hung up in the bathroom. and i didn't take the belt out of the pants from that day. there was another meeting this morning about the special project on the check printing, on my third attempt i got in with the link, just after getting in on the phone. sounds like those two business lines might eventually be moved to another office. in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 6 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the friends did a 'lord of the rings' parody. it was followed by the one where amy and bernadette were caught in their lie to sheldon, and penny. 'the conners' had harris moving in with her guy. i still like john goodman as dan, and katey sagal as louise, but not sara gilbert as darlene. saying she wanted to trick her kid, and threatening violence on her kids, doesn't work for me. there might come a time where i eventually stop watching if i don't enjoy it enough. 

separate supply orders

 before going to lunch i noticed the two largest files of the day arrived. nothing unusual there, except they were more than 2 hours late and the total was over 38k. so i had to ask for directon about it, and found out the total was correct. so it meant meetings about it to get the supplies needed, as this is decidedly higher than typical. and it meant separate supply orders so then the special project can be billed to the business line in fargo. guess this can be filed under another remediation project. my boss wasn't happy about it, and neither was i. only the inter-office and foreign checks went out, not enough time to do the others. near the end of the day i got the reply letters to both aunts sent in reference to the birthday cards that arrived this month. postcards were sent to parents the previous day. in the evening after watching the news i tried going to a CVS pharmacy to find dunkin donuts cereal, as i went online and it said it was there. except the location was closed, although the signs said it won't be closing until later in the week. so i went to a walgreen and got a few small items, including some cheese. later on i went on a walk and found 96 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when stan lee was a guest star. it was followed by the one where sheldon quits string theory and then drunk dials steve hawking.  

cup runneth over

 i was low on UPS envelopes for a while, but not anymore. when i was checking for the morning delivery on another floor i saw 6 boxes of envelopes, so my 'cup runneth over'. still waiting for the regular mail envelopes, so one business line got the ones with the return address that is our office and not fargo. looks like the visit for the installation of the maintenance kit will be the next day, it got scheduled like a meeting on outlook. i performed at the open-mic in the evening, went on fairly early. i got to most things on my list but not all of it, but better than running out of material. i noticed some laughed when i said i was still doing the 'redbox thing'. i left before the show ended because i was tired, and told a friend i left at a good time. since i heard yet another bit from a comic about the slap at the oscars. i don't do topical jokes. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 49 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when leonard went to switzerland. it was followed by the one where penny, and wil wheaton, were in the same movie. 

 

culture of contempt

 i was watching '60 minutes' tonight after the college basketball tournament was done, and i liked a segment about story corps and one small step, as it spoke of the 'culture of contempt'. it was in reference to things like social media, which has led to us being so divisive about many issues. i liked what was said about how nobody is going to change their mind about a subject if told they are an idiot, moron, or snowflake. correct. only civil conversations work, and that is the purpose of the 'one small step' program. although it mentions a long waiting list. it goes back to what i have said many times before, how we should care more about what unites us, not what divides us. 

i did watch some of the tournament today, kansas and north carolina won to reach the final four. duke and villanova won the previous day. i got laundry one as well, and during my walks i found 1 dollar 74 cents. so i have enough for a bag of chips from the vending machine at work. after laundry was done i noticed some socks had holes in them so i threw 2 pairs out, and one of them has a replacement order  already on e-bay. it is the pair of hawkeye socks. others i am willing to mend them when i know they are harder to replace, or just plain expensive to do so. this is why some where mended tonight, just needed a needle and thread and it kept me busy after 'the simpsons' was done. it included a storyline with cletus the slack jawed yokel. i watched some of the oscars before turning over to the news, but not a lot. looks like one of the shirts with collars that i wear at work needs to be replaced as well, but it was old and had a good run. i got it at the montgomery ward liquidation sale 20 years ago. guess i can get out one of the jc penney gift cards from family and find a replacement for it soon.

american siege movie

this morning i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'american siege'. i recognized bruce willis in it. janet jones, who is the wife of hockey great wayne gretzky, is also in it. the story was about taking someone hostage because the captors wanted answers about a missing woman from a decade earlier. it all happened after one of them was released from prison. i have seen better movies than this one, especially when some things didn't add up. for one thing, having what looked like a big drug factory on the lower level of the house where the ordeal happens. in addition, we keep hearing when the feds will arrive to take over as we are told hostage negotiating is under federal jurisdiction, but the movie ends before the feds arrive. or how someone could fire the sheriff, when sheriffs are public servants, elected by the people. 

once the movie was done there was tings to do. i went to the post office and both e-bay orders were there, and i placed orders for two more. i sent the recycling to the capitol, and went to the gas station to dump the movie. i found a mcdonald's that still had shamrock shakes, the first one i tried didn't but the second did. by then it was time for lunch, so i made it home to have a pot pie. then it was out again to get things one. i got toothpaste at a little target and some envelopes from a UPS. when i made it home i tried to watch the college basketball tournament but the game on was a lower division, so i checked the TV listings in the paper and switched to a hockey game. i eventually fell asleep and when i woke up it was time to go to aldi for my weekly grocery order. then i had the evening meal, some pizza. i wanted to get more done and decided to do paper shredding, first time in more than a month, filled two shopping bags. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 51 cents.

empty tray feels warm

 i went to a fish fry at a catholic church and school this evening and when i was in line i said the empty tray still feels warm from being washed. i got plenty of food from the first helping and i was full so i didn't need seconds. a server said we were the caboose, i said i had wanted to make it earlier but i had things i needed to get done first. after i was done i went to the hy-vee in eagan for my weekly grocery order. i first went to the liquor store and got a can of jever, a german beer, so now there are 3 beers waiting. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when sheldon confronted his mom, and the rest of the friends back in pasadena do a 'what it is like in 20 years' game. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 87 cents. at work, still no overnight envelopes arriving, and there is not much left in the reserve pile. i called the mailroom across town an they will send some, guess the number i called the previous day wasn't enough. also got annoyed when i had to call for service on a check printer, needing a maintenance kit, and at first they tried to send me to a different number but i am not a branch employee. so when i called the alternate number i was given a warm transfer and got a different rep the second time. so early next week i should have somebody onsite to do the installation. i didn't watch much of the college basketball tournament tonight, fell asleep after getting back from the grocery store. 

sour cream used up

 for the evening meal i used the sour cream pack left over from last week's fish fry dinner on the chicken. usually it is dipped in mustard but i believe in not wasting things if i can help it. and i drank the can of corona with the meal so now there are 2 beers waiting. i think the mustard is probably still better tasting though. i watched some of the college basketball tournament tonight, duke beat texas tech. this was after i fell asleep for a little over an hour while watching the news. after the game was done i went on a walk and found 74 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the apartment was robbed and sheldon tried to move to bozeman. it was followed by the one where amy talks for raj when trying to get an internet date interested in him. then he crashed the meeting of the 2 ladies as friends. there was an upskilling session at work and a team huddle. only one colleague joined the boss in the conference room. i joined remotely, something i have been used to for a while as it is easier to get other things one such as the check printing. still waiting for overnight envelopes to arrive. i called the internal number for our courier and was told it has been hard to keep them in stock. no kidding, since i placed an order nearly 2 weeks ago. but a solution was found, they are sending me some from our big mailroom across town. 

business looks closed

 sometimes i try to re-deliver mail while at work if the recipient is nearby. there was two of these today and they were done after my visit to walgreen. the first looked like a barber shop, but the door was locked and nobody inside and some junk on the floor, so the business appeared to be closed. the other was a medical clinic, i saw some employees on the floor in their scrubs possibly doing yoga when i said 'we got some of your mail'. it is one good way to be aware of the nearby businesses, since it is a town i don't live in. the overnight envelopes still didn't arrive, so i ordered more and this time i went with a larger size. in the morning i sent a package to a senior leader and said there was issues with an app where i use the spreadsheet. but things got handled eventually. in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 6 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when there was an intervention after howard said he wanted to go into space again. it was followed by the one where sheldon said he didn't want leonard buying a dining table and then amy manipulated sheldon, but claimed leonard was manipulating sheldon. 'the conners' was about darlene still looking for a house, and not wanting to take the funeral home even though it was available for a song. 

bakery truck

 sometimes i am pleased with some of the pictures i can get while waiting at a traffic light. this morning on the way to work it was one of a bakery truck. there was  a smiley face on the back and it said 'have a crumby day'. it gave the website address of a place called grandma's bakery. at first i had to think about it as to why it didn't say 'have a nice day' then realized it was referring to crumbs, as in those from bread and cookies. there was a spike in the overnight envelope volume, 43 were sent out. one of them had 20 checks in it, hard to understand why when one thinks they could have paid them with way fewer checks than that. i think the comment section said 'certificate of deposit'. i ordered more overnight envelopes over a week ago, still not arrived yet. i found it has been liberating to have made the choice about events this summer, as i ended up doing some more writing about it. it was no contest about what event would make me happier, and it is nice to be able to focus my attention on other things after contemplation for a while. in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar, all of it quarters. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon teaches science to penny. it was followed by the one where sheldon meets a weirdo on a train that likes trains as much as he does. then amy tells the new friend to leave. 

cupcake pudding

 i went to perform at the open-mic tonight and had to ask about some of the goodies. there was the typical little candy bars, had some of those. there was also what looked like cupcakes. i had to ask about them further, and the flautist said it was actually pudding and got out a spoon for me. hadn't heard of such a thing before. i was earlier in the lineup this time, which pleased me. after i was done there i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 23 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon tried to retaliate for being pranked by kripke but it backfired. it was followed by the one where james earl jones guest stars, and i still like this one because we hear carrie fisher say 'it's not funny anymore, james'. at work there was  a spike in volume on the overnight packages at the end of the day. in the morning i sent an instant message to my 'work spouse', first time in months. i was looking for an advisor and i got what i was looking for. it appears there will be a scheduling conflict this summer but i was already leaning towards the baseball game over the other event. it always helps to seek out a trusted friend for issues like these. 

nightmare alley movie

 this afternoon i went to see a movie, 'nightmare alley', in edina at the southdale mall. i recognized brad cooper, mary steenburgen, and david strathairn. i had seen rooney mara in at least one movie before as well. there was limited screenings, but i wanted to see it as it is up for some oscars. it is about a carnival employee that decides to venture out to new york and be a grifter of the rich and powerful. i understand there was an earlier movie version of this story, in the 1940s. there was  a body count, and i was no doubt caught off-guard when there was a gunshot in one scene. it was long, over 2 hours, but i didn't notice it that much. there were some flashbacks in it, hard to follow the meaning to the story. there was a long list of songs in the closing credits. also mentioned there was being filmed in canada, as many movies are, along with buffalo, NY. after the movie was one i looked around the mall but didn't buy anything. when asked if i wanted to buy girl scout cookies, i said i had already bought 2 boxes this season. there was plenty of movie previews, the one for a french movie interests me, called 'happening'. i watched some of the college basketball tournament but not that close. i know duke was trailing against michigan state but found a way to win so the final season for coach k continues. i took a long walk in the morning, and during my walks i found 1 dollar 60 cents. 'the simpsons' was a weird one about shoes for bart.

catch the bullet movie

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'catch the bullet'. i did not recognize any of the actors in it. this was a western, filmed in wyoming. it was kind of short, just under 90 minutes. it was about a lawman who rarely brings them back alive, and when he returns home his son has been kidnapped. so he forms a posse to find him, including a guide as they are going through hostile territory. i really didn't like the lead outlaw fairly quickly because of what he kept doing to the boy. there were few if any women in the cast, but this is typical of westerns. i will admit i have seen better westerns than this one. one reason i chose it when doing an alpha search on the machine was that another movie of interest to me was not available. once the movie was one i had to get to the post office as it was closing within the hour. all four outstanding orders were there, including the ken burns baseball book that was an amazon order. i placed more orders once i got back. of course first i had to go to the gas station and dump the movie, then had lunch before doing much else. i had the TV on to the college basketball tournament but didn't watch it too close. after laying down for a little while i knew i needed to get up if i wanted to get girl scout cookies. i was aware of how they were being sold outside of a walgreen. after getting a box of peanut butter cookies i went inside the store but bought nothing after looking around, as there was nothing i really needed. when i got back i laid down even longer than earlier, and when i woke up it was time for the evening meal, i had some pizza. then it was time to get to aldi for my weekly grocery order. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 28 cents. i have already read through the baseball book a decent amount, getting ideas from the index about what sections to read. 

pierogi and fish fry dinner

 after work i drove over to the ukraine community center in northeast minneapolis to pick up the order i had placed online. it was a pierogi and fish fry dinner. had to look up what the former is, result was it is a dumpling with a boiled, sweet filling. i was thankful to see a flag and 'enter' sign to know where to turn, and there was somebody in the lot directing traffic. i let them know i liked seeing it and he said it was his idea to put it up. after i picked it up i did get some pictures of the building from the outside, of course many of them were about the russian invasion of their native land. included in the dinner was information about how one can contribute to humanitarian efforts. since i still had to drive a little in order to get home, i heated up the food before i ate. at least i did for the fish and the fries. now of course my attentions will turn to where i do a fish fry next week, and the next one is likely an eat-in, instead of carry out. at work it was a low volume day on check printing, notable was a senior leader showing up to pick up a UPS package. i still didn't watch much of the college basketball tournament tonight. i went to hy-vee in eagan for my weekly grocery order. later on i went on a walk and found 56 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon drove penny to the hospital, while the other friends were in the woods and got high. it was followed by the one where penny quits the cheesecake factory, while bert attends a rock show with howard and raj.

tough love for machine

 at work before lunch one of the hoppers on the envelope stuffer was jamming. a colleague showed up about an unrelated issue and i spoke of it. some cleaning of the machine was done, including the air can, and it still jammed. in the afternoon i was getting ready to call for service but ran some checks first, using the hopper that was still fine. the job wouldn't auto-end without something in the other hopper, and then both were fine so i was happy about not needing to place a service call. when i sent an instant message about it to my colleague the response was 'sometimes tough love for the machine is needed'. this was funny to me. i did a one on one with my boss before this and went on record saying i wasn't comfortable with anyone looking for supplies in the check shop. still not sure when job shadowing will happen when it is still one day a week with colleagues in the office. i bought another bag of chips from the vending machine so now i am good for not just this weekend but also the next one. i didn't watch much of the college basketball tournament but it sounds like the iowa hawkeyes were bounced, by richmond. in the evening i went on a walk and found 83 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when leonard and penny had a fight, and sheldon gets a comic book and robot. it was followed by the one where penny had her scene cut on a mark harmon show, while howard and raj talk to a mall cop. i drank the can of grain belt with the evening meal so now 3 beers are waiting. 

library exhibits

 i get an email every so often from the u. of minnesota about exhibits at their library system, likely due to seeing their sherlock holmes exhibit before. in the past year i went to see their YMCA exhibit. and it sounds like there is one that interests me in the current email, about festival costumes. i have a dental appointment in may and can see it then as the exhibit runs until the end of that month. looks like they had one about the mississippi bubble that i would have liked, in late 2020, as emerson hough wrote a popular book about that subject. at work a manager i don't report to showed up for the fourth time to look around for supplies, this time it was for a docking station as he claims he has a new employee. i got cranky this time so hopefully he doesn't rattle my cage again. in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 8 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when leonard flies a kite and tries to watch football with penny. it was followed by the one where leonard disproves a paper written by sheldon, because sheldon didn't like the attention it gave him as the discovery was by accident. i got a can of hamm's from the liquor store near work so now there are 4 beers waiting. 'the conners' had a story involving dan's friend so i liked seeing more of john goodman than typical. 

upper deck heroes of baseball

 i went through boxes of game programs over the weekend and found a big card in one of them, it said 'upper deck heroes of baseball'. it was from 1993, when i attended a game in st. louis. there are six players shown on it, the two largest are bob feller and reggie jackson. the smaller photos were art shamsky, ken hotzman, dick williams, an earl weaver. at first it was hard to understand why all of them were on this card, but i searched wikipedia and found out four of them, the four in the smaller photos, are from st. louis. it says it is a limited edition item, and since it was inside a program it is well preserved. now it is inside a sheet protector in a binder. another item found in boxes was a schedule of events from oktoberfest in new ulm from 2017, and it was also put in a sheet protector like this big card. this card is now next to two in the binder that i bought at an estate sale a while back, showing kirby puckett an rickey henderson. i know it is possible to discover even more in these game programs, since there are various giveaway items at baseball games. at work it was a high volume of checks to print, just over 10k, and not all of them went out same-day. i picked up another bag of chips from the vending machine as well. in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 4 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when howard met bernadette and sheldon met wil wheaton. it was followed by the one where leonard had a scratchy sweater and raj said 'what were you thinking' after he blew it on  another date, when he was fixed up by penny. 

mail cart re-claimed

 the senior leader arrived in the morning at work to claim all of the boxes addressed to a new employee. they had been placed in her 'corner' of the check shop for safe keeping. she was fine with carting all of them out although i had offered, by instant message, to send them where they need to go. after about an hour i decided to go to that floor and noticed the cart was still there. so i re-claimed it as it was no longer needed by either of these colleagues as it had been unloaded. when i got back from a lunchtime walk i was asked to let someone in, a new employee, and i turned them down. then i decided to use an alternate entrance and did not tell them that, they didn't need to know. in the evening i performed at the open-mic and the bartender was a little surprised i was friends with another comic. it was spurred by seeing a photo on facebook. i was on near the end of the night, and when i announced i had a birthday a week earlier the fill-in show runner offered to sing, i said after my set was done. after performing i still went on a walk and found 2 dollars 38 cents. so i have enough for another bag of chips from the vending machine at work, after getting one this morning. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj went on an interview and did poorly because he thinks he can only talk to women when he is drunk. then he was offered a job by sheldon. not sure if i had seen that one before. it was followed by the one where bob newhart guest stars and said 'back off, bow tie' to bill nye the science guy. i have already placed an order for a fish fry this week as the venue i chose is in high demand. 

national champions movie

 i watched a DVD movie in the early evening, a redbox rental, 'national champions'. i recognized jk simmons and kristin chenoweth in it. the movie wasn't quite what i expected but i didn't mind. i just knew it was about college football. actually it was about the lead-up to the game as a star player was willing to boycott unless demands were met about becoming an employee instead of a student athlete. the character i really liked in it was katherine poe, even though she was a muckraker she had passion and we all know i like passion. there were various stories being told along the way, besides just the boycott, such as the infidelity of the wife of the coach. i of course would compare it to 'the program' although that one had games as part of the story. because it was also a fictional but realistic and accurate account of college football. the setting was new orleans so there was many scenes where one sees the superdome in the background. although the closing credits say it was also filmed in canada. another thing found in the closing credits was nearly a dozen actors listed as 'themselves', including russell wilson, and karl anthony towns. i watched 'the simpsons' after it was done, about homer getting dinged for a blunder that went viral, then i went to the gas station to dump the movie. except the machine was down, so i needed a few minutes to figure out where else i could dump it and decided to go to a walgreen. sometimes one must line up alternate plans. 

after having breakfast i got caught up on emails and doing surveys, then headed out the catch the light rail to the vikings stadium. there was a gopher baseball game, against air force. gophers won 7-6 despite trailing early, due to two solo home runs by air force. during a pitching change in the 6th i went to get some fries and a bottle of tea, then i wasn't served right away because the cashier said the patron in front of me didn't pay. my line was: as long as i don't have to pay for them i was fine. after taking the light rail back to the park and ride i went to get gas and when i went inside the gas station for a drink and a sandwich i was asked by a little girl if i wanted to buy girl scout cookies. i got a box of peanut butter cookies. during my walks i found 2 dollars 57 cents. this included a dollar bill i had found near the gas station, which i used to help pay for the cookies. after getting back from walgreen in the evening i did some more cleanup, going through game programs in a box. i was surprised to find a baseball card in one of them, glued to the page. two full-page tickets from twins games in 2010 were found as well, and put in a sheet protector in a binder next to other event tickets. 

collapsed box replaced

 there was plenty of stops i made to get chores and errand running done. the most notable had to be when i went to target and got a clear plastic storage container, to replace a box that had collapsed. i had plenty of books in this box. now i have a better idea of what books are in it. i searched for a bookcase as well, to replace one that had collapsed, but this will be tougher. since i don't want one with adjustable shelves. so there is more searching to be done. the day started with going to the dealer for an oil change for the car. then after this was done i went to the post office to pick up e-bay orders, there was five. three are outstanding, and i just placed an order for a baseball book on amazon. then it was time to watch the iowa hawkeyes play indiana in the big ten basketball tournament. it was a back and forth game of runs and iowa won 80-77. so now they will face purdue in the championship. i made it to aldi for my weekly grocery order, no problem there. when i also tried to pick up a few things at family dollar, there was a big pink sign in the window saying 'store closed'. although when i got a picture of the sign, i saw somebody inside. so hopefully this is just a temporary thing. this is why i got the container at target. during my walks i found 26 cents. there is not much left to do on sunday, one of those things is watch a redbox movie i picked up this evening. during the basketball game i also found time to respond to all of the recent birthday wishes on facebook. 

madden magazine, espn

 this evening i went to hy-vee for my weekly grocery order and i said it was time to get the special magazine i had seen for weeks about football great john madden. i knew it has on the cover to display it until april. i had seen the documentary on christmas day and he passed just a few days later. plenty of photos in it, the part about the video game bearing his name didn't interest me much as i am not a video game player. but the rest of the story was of interest to me. we all know i like special magazines, so this one will go in the box next to the others. probably the first one i have about a football personality. there was 80 pages and i understand it would have been hard to cover everything so it is still largely highlights, such as one photo from being a product endorser for miller lite beer, and a brief mention of other commercials he did. i of course liked mention of being a guest star on 'the simpsons'. so it is a slightly different style of telling his story than the documentary, nothing wrong with that. 

at work it was a fairly low volume day so there were some gaps between check files to print. one colleague wondered why there was just three checks at midday to pick up and not the fourth. this was the one that replaced the one who retired in january. then it was determined it was likely due to the small gap of a few minutes on approving it, and this meant the fourth didn't meet the same cut-off time as the others. after having lunch i went over to mcdonald's to get a shamrock shake. i plan on getting one once a week for as long as they are available, and i figure it should be on the menu until the end of the month. it was a cold and windy walk over there though. as i was leaving i saw a box for the branch manager so i brought it inside the building. then i went to the church nearby and picked up the fish fry dinner i had ordered online. since i still had the commute in front of me i heated it up when i got home. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 48 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj and howard go to a goth bar and i liked this one because one of the ladies they meet kept saying 'not that anyone cares'. it was followed by the one where amy does work at caltech and sheldon ends up reacting to the videos the same way the monkey does. before getting groceries i went to the adjacent liquor store and got a can of sam adams so now there are three beers waiting. i was following the results of the conference tournament for big ten basketball and found out iowa beat northwestern, and then rutgers, to advance to the semifinals against indiana on saturday. so i think i will stay in and watch that one as it is on CBS. of course i still have chores and errand running to do, but i will do what i can before the game begins and whatever is left will be done after the game. 

robins in winter

another birthday card arrived, this one from my aunt that lives in southern iowa. there is a sticker on the back of the envelope and it is of robins in winter. this is likely it on the cards i will get, as most wishes are now being sent on facebook. a few more arrived there today, two were private messages. one from brawler, the other from the fancy comic and showing a mural. at work my vacation replacement was looking for more wires and while in the check shop decided to claim the service anniversary mailings and send them to their desks. three of the four, i was told the fourth had quit. they had been there for months due to the pandemic. i made a list of things to get done when i got home, four items in all. two were to pay bills, a third to notify the e-bay seller i had returned a postcard, and the fourth was to place a fish fry order for friday. i had to call an audible on which place as my first choice was already sold out. so i will have to try ordering early in the week for next friday. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 2 dollars 30 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when lewis black was a guest star as sheldon had a bet with howard about a field cricket. it was followed by the one where bernadette ends up in quarantine, and the friends help howard sing to her. for the evening meal i drank the can of schell's with it so now there are 2 beers waiting. 

employee records

 i got a better idea of what is on the other side of the fence from the check shop at work this morning. a colleague said it was employee records. and since i know this bank has bought out plenty of other banks i said it is likely there would be many of the old bank names there. she said her husband had worked for one of the bought-out banks and his social was already on file. i gave a warning how i was going to start the envelope stuffing machine as it can get loud. near the end of the day i went to the branch to see if there were any deliveries and was told by the manager it was fine to leave the toner cartridge boxes i had left there this morning, to be picked up. she was hopeful that a driver would still be arriving soon. i went to another floor to check for deliveries and a driver rang a buzzer, and i said go to the lower level if picking up. so i lucked out on that one. during my walks i found 26 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon runs away to texas after getting back from the north pole. it was followed by the one where the friends go on a scavenger hunt, which ends with howard and amy singing neil diamond at a karaoke bar. i know i have said it before how it is one of my favorite episodes due to the karaoke. 'the conners' was a rerun and it was the one where dan gets married to louise. had to laugh when the flower girl said she was too old to be in that role. i got another birthday card, this one from my aunt in wisconsin. 

baby rules

 i have a niece that is pregnant and is due next month. one facebook tonight she listed rules about how to conduct yourself around her baby. all were reasonable, and i said i was unsure when my next visit to iowa will be. it is sad that one has to have rules, but i know full well that some people don't know well enough to respect boundaries. at work the team huddle was brief, sounds like a colleague will be doing the test checks this time. there is still some free food in the breakroom but i haven't claimed any more. i started on the hot cocoa mix and used two packs, one at lunch and the other at dinner. more supply orders arrived, another box of envelopes was dumped at the branch and i picked it up near the end of the day. in the evening i went on a walk and found 71 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the friends went to the north pole. it was followed by the one where leonard returns from the north sea and sheldon thinks penny is cheating on him. i am up to 8 e-bay orders waiting as i believe in 'get while the getting is good'. the next amazon order will likely happen soon as i just cashed out on points from surveys with enterprise car rental. 

black containers, free food

 when i walked through the breakroom at work this morning i saw plenty of food on the counter. there were signs up saying 'free food, do not take the black containers'. i recalled how i didn't claim any when this happened before, so i was thankful i got another chance. i claimed 11 boxes and packs. 2 each of triscuit, wheat thins, and ritz crackers. the others were oreos, nilla wafers, cereal, graham crackers, and hot cocoa mix. some boxes were damaged, most of it appeared to be nabisco, except for the cocoa mix, which was the target store brand. only the graham crackers and cocoa mix have an expiration date of this month. so i could justify claiming so much when i have time to eat all of it. even though i claimed plenty, there was still plenty remaining at the end of the day. good chance that others will claim more later in the week as 'return to office' has happened, but each department has been doing just one day a week. it wasn't the only time where i claimed something i can use. during the evening walk i saw some paper grocery bags at the bus stop and chose the bar of soap. the cans of beans, and boxes of pasta, didn't interest me. so all of it serves as an unofficial birthday present. i saw plenty of birthday wishes on facebook, i think it was 22 so far. also notable about the workday was a single foundation check. i asked by email if that was all, and was told it was an off-cycle check, for the red cross for ukraine aid. i said it sounds like an important check so it was added to the overnight pile. i got the state tax return into the drop-box late in the evening, and after it i did my customary walk, where i found 67 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when howard's space toilet didn't work. it was followed by the one where leonard is still in the north sea, while amy and bernadette are critical of the other's choice in a mate while at a convention. even though when some dudes bought drinks for them, both confessed to wanting the ones reminding them of the other's partner. for the evening meal i drank the can of heineken and brought home a can of corona from the liquor store near work so there still are 3 beers waiting. 

up movie, ed asner

 this afternoon i watched a DVD movie, a recent purchase from amazon, 'up'. i recognized the voices of ed asner, and john ratzenberger, in it. what inspired me to find it was a youtube video, where it was clips of the movie and the song in the background was 'nothingman' by pearl jam. the song is not in the movie, but this happens all the time on youtube, where there are 'mashups' so i didn't mind. normally i don't go for animated movies, but this one was all right. i liked the premise of the main character deciding to give the retirement community the slip and the balloons helped lift his house off of the ground. and the kid looking for a merit badge added plenty to the story, because it gave the main character more of a purpose in life. and it is a time-honored to have two people that are a mismatch stuck with each other in order to make it funnier. at first i wondered if it was a mistake to read an article online about the movie, as it gave away the ending, but then found out it really didn't. i still got out today after the snow, going to a copy store to make copies of tax forms and will get my state tax return submitted soon. then it was on to IKEA near mall of america to have lunch. it was a little disappointing when frozen yogurt was not available, as it was on the birthday coupon offer at the bistro, but i just went to their restaurant and had some swedish meatballs. then i got sidetracked and tried to get a bookcase to replace one that had collapsed. except the one i wanted, with shelves that are screwed in and not adjustable, was not in stock. also not available online, at least in terms of being shipped to the store, and it is the only location in the area. so i did some more researching online and i will try another store next weekend, near a place where i will have an oil change done. after lunch and before the movie i went to the family dollar and got some microwave popcorn, and while there i noticed some big plastic storage containers there, another option for storage of books. i called my dad later in the evening, and said i had heard about tornados in iowa, with some fatalities, it was online. during my walks i found 2 dollars 16 cents. 

house of gucci movie

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'house of gucci'. i recognized lady gaga, al pacino, and salma hayek in it. this was a long movie, over 2 and a half hours, and at times i could feel how long, especially in the second half. but i did like lady gaga in it. this is a compelling story, and like many other movies based on a true story, there is death involved. even though it is about an italian company, much of the story takes place in america. when it is a well known brand in america, no surprise at all. there was a scene that made  reference to knock-off merchandise, likely invented for dramatic effect. i had to check and the movie has just one oscar nomination, for makeup. none for any of the major awards. after the movie was done there was orders to pick up at the post office. four of the five were there. the eccentric employee called me by the wrong name. then i went to the gas station and dumped the movie. by then it was time for lunch. i placed some more e-bay orders as well. i was tired and laid down for a while, and when i woke up it was early evening and time to watch the news and go to aldi for groceries. during my walks i found 10 cents. the evening walk was shortened due to the snow. and it was raining when i went to the grocery store.  

wee heavy beer

 i was at the hy-vee liquor store in eagan tonight and saw a beer inspired by 'the simpsons'. it was called 'wee heavy', and the character on it was grounds-keeper willie. didn't buy it, kind of expensive for a single can. i got a can of grain belt so now there are 3 beers waiting. my order at the grocery part was smaller than usual, just 6 items. one reason was they were sold out of the minneapolis paper, so i had to get it at the gas station where i got a redbox rental movie. during lunchtime at work i went to the mcdonalds and got a shamrock shake. i like how it was largely an uneventful day. there was a question from i.m. about a signature on overnight packages so i sent a screen snip of what i saw as options. it helps when the check files are sent earlier so i can finish the overnights earlier. this was my question after answering theirs, and the answer was they would be sent shortly. later on in the evening i went on a walk and found 95 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj and leonard hired a hooker for howard in las vegas. it was followed by the one where sheldon and amy attack the shows the other likes- indiana jones, and little house on the prairie. i stayed in for the evening meal and had a shrimp bowl i bought at target. watching the news i got an idea for another fish fry to attend, at a community center. 

return to office

 return to office finally happened for the department i am in. it meant two different times i was asked to go to third floor to meet people. some i had exchanged emails with and were more familiar with than others. my boss made multiple visits to the check shop, twice it was to check the serial number on the envelope stuffer. one colleague that had trained me arrived to claim plastic straws and plastic forks. i like how i am getting two check files earlier so i can finish the overnight labels earlier. in the evening i went on a walk and found 47 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon and stuart argued about comic books after penny saw some art that stuart had at a show. it was followed by the one where raj talks after lucy ends it with him, it was a season finale. for the evening meal i drank the bottle of weihenstephaner so now there are 2 beers waiting. 'young sheldon' was a weird one, where the two professors end up in a bar with a wounded armadillo after one of them had hit it with the motor home. 

cardboard homeless sign

 when i was out for a walk this evening i saw a cardboard homeless sign. it said 'happy sunday', except this isn't sunday. when i found it i sent it to the trash bin next to a bus stop. during this walk i found 52 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when there was a catfight because penny got a rival in the building and the friends seemed to like the rival more. it was followed by the one where the ladies wanted to go to las vegas but ended up playing d and d with the dudes. although raj gets a date and quits the game. at work there was more people at the office on the third floor, but not the department i am in just yet. one of them brought in pineapple upside down cake and said she had won ribbons for her food at county fairs. i got the monthly supply order in a day late and no check stock will be ordered this month. no need for it when the big shipment arrived last week. 'the conners' was a sobering story about a mall shooting. it was nice to have louise return after being on tour. 

paper towels and tide

 i was at a gas station tonight and somebody asked if i needed any paper towels and tide laundry soap, if i am not mistaken. i said no, i was good. sounded odd to me, wonder if it was stolen. this was after i went to the comedy club, only the second time since the pandemic hit. i had hoped to see yemen native there but he must have been held up in another city. i saw some familiar faces though, including extra murder comic, school bouncer, stillwater, wee bit, and gumby. i had seen gumby at another club and in both cases was only eating and drinking and not performing. a big advocate of mine, i said contact me on social media about any ideas for stage time. at work i was snowed under by overnight requests, there was 52 for the day, likely a record. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 64 cents. i got a quick dinner at a hy-vee convenience store near work, including a fish sandwich, on the way to the club. it was tough for me to go to the club first, when i like going home first to de-compress a little and drop some things off, but i wanted to be on time for sign-up as well.