flight aware

 i printed an article this morning that was about the flight cancellations over the memorial day holiday weekend. it mentions a tracking service called 'flight aware'. so i found this site, wikipedia said it is based in houston. impressed with what i saw on the site, i looked at the map and chose the airport in this metro area, MSP. based on the flight information there, i found out SDF, or the Louisville, KY, airport, is named for boxer muhammad ali. this might have calmed my fears about booking a flight this summer, as it said 2 percent of flights were canceled but some airlines, especially delta, will trim their schedule 'in an effort to improve reliability'. still looks like airfares are high though. not sure how i handle that, if there is enough miles to make it a free trip, or pay it off over 6 months through pay-pal. 

it was the first day back at work. there was a spike in volume on some business lines, as expected, not only due to the holiday but also the end of the month. when i arrived the emergency exit door inside the check shop was chirping, sounded like squeaky shoes. so after getting some files printed i placed a work order online. i saw a technician just before i went to lunch, and as expected it was a simple solution, a battery replacement. i brought out the keys that are kept in an envelope. at lunchtime i saw a text from a fellow comic, who said he was ill so it meant not going out tonight. not a big deal, i said i would just drive home after work instead of go to the club. later on i went on a walk and found 72 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon takes a vacation and tries working with amy in her lab. it was followed by the one where sheldon shows amy his storage locker. 

bug on shirt

 i get back from a walk in the evening and i hear some buzzing, which is not typical. i noticed there is a big bug on my shirt. i then hear it fly over to another part of the room so i go find it and squash it. still not sure how it got there, but when it is warmer i guess one is more likely to see bugs. during this walk i found 84 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when howard is given the nickname 'froot loops' by another astronaut. it was followed by the one where raj goes to see emily after being sent a gift. then claire calls and tells him about the 'girl playbook' but he still goes to see emily. it was a day off as it was memorial day but i didn't do much. i did the dishes in the morning as i was too tired to do them the night before. i went online to check the list of meetup events. one of them was of interest to me, a historic cemetery, but it was a morning event so i had to pass on that one. still might find the place at a later date. i knew about the picnic at a park, sounds like the retired postal employee was part of it so i might attend one later this summer. i had balked at that one due to the admission fee. i re-deployed some of the sheet protectors in order to get some items into binders. this included a page of set lists, going into the performing binder, as well as two pages related to events from the college alumni association. along with recognition at work leading to points, which is put towards amazon gift cards. i heard from a fellow performer by text, who said he couldn't make it out tonight so us meeting up had to be moved back a day. i performed at an open-mic, most notable likely was the ones about movies i had seen recently and saying why they must have been direct to video. near the end of the night a performer showed up, a big dude, and borrowed a guitar.

ernest goes to jail movie

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a recent amazon purchase, 'ernest goes to jail'. i was aware of it being name-checked in a 'big bang theory' episode. i had seen some of these 'ernest' movies but it had been a while. i saw 'saves christmas' at theaters, and i had seen 'goes to camp' as well. this disc is a triple feature, the other two are 'goes to camp' and 'scared stupid'. this movie, 'goes to jail', is a case of mistaken identity, ernest looking just like a convict, and is swapped out for him. according to the closing credits, jim varney played 3 roles. not just ernest and the convict, but also an aunt. this movie is more for kids, might have been why i liked these 'ernest' movies more when i was much younger. since there is a lot of slapstick in it. his home reminded me of what was seen on 'pee wee's playhouse' with all of the gadgets in it. 

i had some things to do after the movie was done, and this meant doing laundry. this was around midday, and i had lunch, some red baron pizza, just before getting started. once laundry was done i went for a haircut but it was not to be. the place i normally go to has limited hours, closed on the weekends, which does me no good. granted, it not only was a sunday, but also a holiday weekend, so i knew there wasn't going to be a lot of options. but i didn't see it as a wasted trip- i saw it as a 'fact finding mission'. i found a place that i will try next weekend, that is open on saturday. then it was time to get on the road for the st. paul saints baseball game. the saints were playing indianapolis, and were trailing, 1-0, in the top of the first when i arrived. a few innings later, they went ahead 5-3 on a 3-run home run and never trailed after that. although the visitors tied it 7-7 in the 9th with 2 runs, but the saints got one in the bottom of the inning to win, 8-7. i usually eat before i go, but it was kind of early to eat when it was a 5pm start. the lines for food were ridiculously long, throughout the stadium, so eventually i asked if i could just get some coca-cola and a bag of peanuts from a stand serving mixed drinks. then i got a coney dog from a food truck on the warning track after the game ended, it was from 'dine-1-1', a converted ambulance. i chose this game because of the fireworks show, which was a good show as usual, as it included some music. the final song i recall being played was 'walking on sunshine'. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 54 cents.

gasoline alley movie

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'gasoline alley'. i recognized bruce willis and luke wilson in it. this was about the owner of a tattoo shop being framed for the murder of four girls, hookers. at times the movie felt slow, even though it was about 90 minutes in length. a few things in the story didn't make sense, such as the main character being alone in a police car with an arrested man. this leads to him stealing the police car. i checked the closing credits and i noticed the cast listed a character name 'eleanor rigby', i caught this as a reference to a beatles song. this was the singer that the main character was told to find in order to unravel who was trying to frame him. i have seen better movies than this one. especially when a cop early on is accusing the main character of the crime while interrogating, and not inside a police station, despite saying there wasn't enough evidence yet to make an arrest. 

once the movie was done i went to the post office, two orders to pick up. then i went to the gas station to dump the movie. i traded texts with a comic that is in town this weekend, trying to figure out when we can meet up for a drink. i laid down for a while, then went to aldi for my weekly grocery order. i moved it up a little as i wanted to be back in time for the start of the baseball game on Fox, the opener of their coverage for this season. it was the cubs at the white sox, cubs won 5-1. later on i went on a walk and found 74 cents. 

heavy duty can opener

 it was disappointing that the can opener i bought last month at family dollar didn't last long. i wanted a lightweight one that fit in my lunch bag nicely but when i went to lunch i noticed it was failing. only got the can of spaghetti open halfway, and this was dangerous of course. thankful i got the lion's share of the contents of the  can into the plastic container to get it heated up in the microwave oven. in the evening when i went to hy-vee in eagan i looked at the section where kitchen items were and got a heavy duty can opener this time. costs more but worth it if it lasts way longer. there were multiple kinds of openers but i went with the cheaper kind, still was 9 dollars. i like how it is from topco associates in elk grove village, illinois. not only is it suburban chicago, an area i once lived in, but i like the fun things on their packages. this one said 'lima beans, liberated. soup, served!' much like the food items from this company found at another store. so all i can say is 'long live to the can opener'. when i got home i used it on the can that was opened halfway and got the lid off, so i could wash out the can safely.  before i went to the grocery part i went to their liquor store and got a can of utepils, a local brew, so now there are 3 beers waiting. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 62 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj thinks he is dating his phone. it was followed by the one where adam west guest stars and is a guest at sheldon's birthday party. at work a ticket i had opened for one of the check printers more than three weeks earlier finally was closed. a tech showed up mid-morning, after i had changed the toner cartridge as it was out of toner. no inspection of the unit was done, the tech is one i have seen fairly often. he said he'd talk with the other tech about it. hard to understand why the ticket was stalled for so long, somebody dropped the ball here. i was told my notes on the ticket were good, i like being thorough, guess that the cleaning of the unit was good enough.

interlachen country club

 this evening after work i went to interlachen country club in edina. there was a university of iowa alumni event being held there, a presidential reception. first time at this venue. there was valet parking available but i parked my own car. i was recognized there by somebody who asked if i still did stand-up. i said i had cut back due to the pandemic. i am ambivalent about being recognized for this reason. because there are times when people obviously value me differently and only think of me in these terms and i am anything but one dimensional. there was appetizers at this event, had some of the cheese and crackers. but i ended up having a sandwich at a holiday gas station after it was over. before the event i went to look around at 50th and france as i liked going to see movies at the theater over there. except it looks like it is still closed, and looking inside the window it won't be open anytime soon as it is still under construction. although the big sign said 'we will be back this summer'. i bought 2 postcards at a nearby boutique. it was a place i had first seen at the airport but according to online searching this is the only location now. at work there was more action on the ticket for the check printer that had been stalled for weeks. a fuser, or maintenance kit, arrived, found at the branch. sounds like a technician will be inspecting the unit next morning. at the end of the day i was called again by the retired employee, even said i was on my way out. i said i had set aside 9 envelope boxes and will put them out by the employee entrance next morning. i didn't want to leave them out until i had heard from them again. in the evening i went on a walk and found 67 cents.

logo on checks

 in the afternoon my boss arrived in the shop while i was running checks through the machine. the question was about the second logo on the top of the checks. some business lines had it but not all of them. the second logo has the bank's slogan. i was asked to scan a sample as the plan is to have I.T, take this second logo off. i had never bothered to notice it before. mid-morning was the one on one. it led to an upgrade on the ticket on a check printer from weeks ago. reminded me too much of when i delivered the paper as a kid and my dad had to go with me on some trips because some of the customers wouldn't pay me. an air can was used on both printers, still not sure when a technician is arriving to inspect the unit. we were hearing 'waiting for parts' although i don't understand why parts were ordered without inspecting the unit first. in the evening i went on a walk and found 19 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when amy got a tiara. i laughed at this one because amy said to penny 'i'm disappointed in you but we know that isn't going to last'. it was followed by the one where sheldon has the valentines edition of 'fun with flags' and the callers talk about being lonely. i drank the can of leinenkugel with the evening meal so now 2 beers are waiting.

surveys back on

 i had sent an email to the providers of surveys i do for airline miles as i had been unable to do them for a few days. i got a response as to the possible causes, and when i went in i was be to do them again. i know my system completed some updates in the morning, so this might have helped on getting me back on and in. there are actually two sites i do them from, one a specific airline and the other isn't. i am doing the former for the rest of the month as i have enough for my monthly cash-out for the latter. at work the notable thing was dealing with 'zero checks', this happens every so often. not much i can do but notify I.T. as they are un-printable. looks like it was handled by the end of the day, but it was late enough in the day that the attempt to print them again had to wait. a payroll employee who sorts mail asked for a cart and it came back fairly quickly, guess it was for the boxes of records from another floor that finally moved when the elevator was repaired. in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 30 cents. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when sheldon's grandma arrived, and she didn't like amy. the lid-lifter was replaced by a 'MASH' rerun on another channel, when hawkeye kept sneezing and a therapist was called in. this was due to finding out early that the first 'bang' rerun was one i wouldn't enjoy at all, which is rare. 

forrest gump coincidence

 i was performing at an open-mic tonight, and i was on early. after my set, as customary, i go out to the bar area to reflect on it. this was where i saw the movie 'forrest gump' on TV, and it was a weird coincidence. i had just made a reference to the movie in my set, about the time forrest is running cross country. it was a throw-in to what i was saying about the walks i have been doing. so i did watch some more of this movie, but still returned to the show room when some some of my friends were onstage. this included the flautist, who is moving to austin, texas, and this was her last performance here. one of the songs she did was by linkin park. another i like seeing was the young dude who performs with the older dude, they do folk songs. i started off with a reference to lipstick on a pig, about what i saw on a car. weird acts tonight included a prop comic doing puns, and a guitarist who sang about cannibalism. later on i went on a walk and found 2 dollars 21 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon finds amy while she is on a date with stuart and he does a quadruple negative. it was followed by the one where sheldon does an apology tour in order to go on a party bus with the friends to las vegas. at work it was a fairly low volume day on check printing. notable was picking up two envelope boxes from the 4th floor delivery table, and using the elevator for the first time in weeks as it is finally working again. i let our supply rep know about it because i had already received this order earlier. i was told she didn't order any extra, but i said i was keeping them in the shop as i can still use them.

kyoto sushi, uptown minneapolis

 at lunchtime i went to uptown minneapolis to see a friend that was in town, it was at kyoto sushi. first time there but i have been to this neighborhood fairly often over the years. i was one of eight there, thankful for this size of crowd as i didn't have to say all that much. i spent a lot of time listening. it was all you can eat, and i chose the chicken teriyaki and chicken fried rice. i knew what i was getting with those two. ice cream looked good so i got some as well, green tea. for the drink i got ice tea and at first i got this as the refill but eventually the server put in coca-cola, but i still drank it. i knew some of the people who were there to see brawler, same as me, but not all of them. i knew chalm-skinn. i asked about streaming services and it sounds like i need to do some more research before i sign up for any of them. it may just be the one with a series of history documentaries as it was my college major. hard to avoid talk of performing, when i wanted to know about streaming i asked if it was fine to talk about something besides performing. memorable will be somebody across from me who had just completed his degree at st. thomas that was started 25 years earlier. i was adequate using chopsticks, even after a quick tutorial, and was thankful i got a spoon for the rice. another thing hard to avoid, i am finding out, is the story about how this dude got the name brawler. although i try to avoid it as it involves the dude intervening on my behalf in a bar, when i should have left well before it got out of hand. 

after it was done i walked around the area a little, and got pictures of the movie posters at the lagoon theater. other places were of the speedway gas station, which has been rebuilt after it burned to the ground during the 2020 riots. as we as an eating place that caught my eye because there was a charlie brown lunchbox in the window, next to a row of thermoses. when i got home i watched the second half of a USFL game, new jersey vs. houston, new jersey won on a quarterback sneak. i also saw a facebook posting asking me if it was me walking earlier, from mason city, and i said it probably was. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 20 cents. 

dangerous movie, mel gibson

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'dangerous'. i recognized mel gibson in it. i think this would be considered a thriller, and i do like thrillers. the lead actor was scott eastwood, and this is the son of clint. it is about seeing his family again at his brother's funeral, on a remote island. the role played by mel gibson was his therapist. early on when he is arrested, due to being a fugitive, i said 'it can't end this early' and i was correct. a band of thugs arrives, and they want something but it isn't the fugitive. his mom has disowned him, and eventually the backstory was there as to why. closing credits say that much of it was filmed in canada. 

there was some errand running to do after it, but nothing to pick up at the first stop, the post office. i got some copies at fedex office, then dumped the movie at the gas station. i had lunch and watched part of a USFL game, tampa bay vs. philadelphia. sounds like the game ran over a little, as right after it ended it went to coverage of the horse race known as the preakness stakes. but i shut it off before that race even aired, and i laid down for a while. i had some pizza for the evening meal, watched the news, then went to aldi for my weekly grocery order. then it was time to get on the road as i wanted to see a friend, DC native, who was headlining a comedy show at a venue where i do an open-mic. i didn't have a ticket but i was recognized by another performer and went in. i paid for parking for a little over an hour, long enough to see the first two comics and part of the headliner set. really liked the one about contests as it was relatable. didn't know the MC but the guest set was somebody i knew, a ring of honor member that is a louisiana native if i am not mistaken. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 35 cents.

beer pong kit

 i was at the hy-vee liquor store in eagan tonight, where i got a can of leinenkugel so now there are 3 beers waiting. i saw a beer pong kit for sale next to cases of budweiser so i got a picture of it. i don't think i have ever played that game. surprised me a little to see it available there. i went to the main part of the store as well to get my weekly grocery order. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 12 cents. at work there was a dial in meeting about the online course we had just taken. it was about communicating with others. i finally got approval to shred a tax check for over a million after waiting 2 days to hear about it. the payment is going ACH instead. some of my comic friends are in town and i am waiting to her about when and where i might get to see them. i was trying to find movie times for a french movie and it looks like it was at theaters for just one week. so it means considering seeing it on a streaming service. and i was trying to avoid paying membership fees as i have cut back greatly on magazines and memberships in recent years. but this is the third movie i wanted to see that is more easily found 'on demand' in the past year so i may have no choice if many movies are going there now due to the pandemic. 

even more sensors

 after the team huddle mid-morning, my vacation replacement made it to the check shop to show me more about cleaning the machine. i found out there was even more sensors, as there was two more that are hard to see. it was the first of two meetings for the day. the other was a dial-in, up-skilling, and as usual i try to get work done during one of those. based on what i just found out from my colleague, i am still looking for the right time to visit st. louis. an email was sent that spoke of a family funeral, and then jury service. and i try to avoid being out of the office at the same time, as it would leave us thin on personnel. there is another employee i learned the job from, but i know she likes working from home because she has kids. in fact she dialed in on the team huddle this morning while the rest of us were in a conference room. in the evening i went on a walk and found 59 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when amy said she was a tumor because penny and bernadette wouldn't go dress shopping with her. then amy ends up drunk in a liquor store parking lot. this is another favorite episode of mine, although not number one. it was followed by the one where bob newhart guest stars. sheldon gives up his star wars ticket and spends amy's birthday with her. i drank the can of grain belt with the evening meal so now 2 beers are waiting. 

boxes for moving

 early in the day my boss found me and said i would get a call from somebody who wanted boxes for moving. i did but i found out a few things that were left out earlier. for one thing, it was a retiree. i had to ask 'what do you mean can't?' about being unable to pick up boxes from some places inside the building, including the check shop. so i said i can leave them in the employee entrance area next to the UPS bin. i had four empty copy paper boxes available, sitting on the shelf, and put them out. and i am told to set aside envelope boxes as well, once they become empty. it was a lower volume day on check printing so it was just one box i emptied. she said she was helping her mother in law move out of a house she had lived in for 60 years, and much of it will be books she is donating. there was no job shadowing done as my vacation replacement was working from home. a newer manager finally got her ID badge, i picked it up from the branch. this is the one i spoke with at the twins game last month. when i was bringing up the other box that was found at the branch my boss asked about special handling for the two largest files, from fargo. i said we have it, usually every day having to inter-office some checks. so i am told that moving those files to another office is not possible, as they are unable to filter out any checks apparenty. in the evening i went on a walk and found 32 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon's mom visits and he gets sick on purpose so she can fuss over him. it was followed by the one where sheldon and amy get back together, after sheldon figures out the 'ear worm'. 'the conners' was a season finale, a double wedding. i am still trying to plan out any summer travels, including my annual visit to st. louis. based on the promotions i am seeing i am thinking about going in the middle of the week instead of the weekend. it would mean more than one vacation day to use though, but not a big deal as i have plenty to use. so far this year i have used just two.

dime set aside

 this morning at work i got 2 chip bags out of the vending machine. i noticed after this was done how, in the remaining change, i had a dime from 1947. so at the end of the day i decided to set it aside and it is now in an album with other coins i've wanted to save. still surprised at times to see some old coins in circulation. many of those saved have been 'wheat ear' pennies that of course were made in 1958 or earlier. it was back at work after a day off, and as usual i could tell somebody had been in the check shop just by looking at the trash can as there was 2 cans and a bottle in it. so i moved those to the recycle bin in the breakroom. i saw some mail in the department's slot in the breakroom as well. not a big deal that a few things weren't done as it didn't take long to process what was there, usually just scan it to another department. i did well on getting caught up by the end of the day, including going through the returned checks. i do them once a week but decided to do them a day early as i am not sure what i will be assigned for the rest of the week. i understand the 'return to office' plan will become 2 days a week and i might be job shadowing on another floor. in the evening i went on a walk and found 49 cents. during the walk i saw 2 people in a strip mall, hard to ignore either. one was a leg sticking out from under a blanket, next to a bicycle. i said 'the haves and have-nots' when i saw this. the other was a young lady inside a sandwich shop on her phone, an employee on break. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon went to wil wheaton's party to meet brent spiner, mr. data from 'star trek'. it was followed by the one where the friends spy on amy's date. this was another one where i am reminded of how friends can do things that run counter to what friends should do. but again, it is realistic in terms of how some people act.

masquerade exhibit, wilson library

 it was a day off for me and i wanted to stay active before i headed to a dental appointment in the afternoon. so i went to the university of minnesota and saw an exhibit at wilson library. it was called 'living masquerades'. i knew it would be closing soon. it was on the first floor of the building. it was small but i am thankful i saw it. i liked the video just as much as there was plenty of background information given in it. some o the displays were full costumes. what i also liked seeing was the art in the stairwell. it was framed photography of rural areas. i used the light rail to get to and from the park and ride, and made it home around midday, then had lunch there. then i used the bus to get to the dental appointment. before i departed for the exhibit i got a look at my book collection, spurred by buying some this weekend. i have 6 books by bill bryson now, and was able to find one of them that i decided to move to another bookcase so it was next to the others. after the dental appointment i went to the dairy queen at mall of america as i wanted a blizzard treat. i had been seeing the ads on TV about them being a sponsor of major league baseball and i like having the cup the ice cream came in as it has all of the team logos on it. i got cherry chip. i saw a private message on facebook from a classmate, asking if i was attending the reunion next month. i said i wouldn't be, due to a scheduling conflict. but i did say i still might make it to the area some other weekend. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 61 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj dated a deaf lady, and howard, as translator, asked i she was a gold digger. it was followed by the one where sheldon is in a  documentary about spock and says he is over the breakup with amy but really isn't. i performed at the open-mic, thankful i went on fairly early in the lineup. notable was when i quoted song lyrics, from 'eleanor rigby' by the beatles, as well as 'i'm alright' by kenny loggins. the former was inspired by a guitarist before me playing another beatles song, 'i feel fine'.

flashlight replaced

 i wanted to get to a movie but after i realized i wasn't going to make it in time i decided to do another thing on my list, look for a flashlight. i knew it was time to replace the one i had because the hard plastic was cracked. it served me well for a while, had it since age ten, as i recall it was an award from cub scouts. i got the replacement at home depot, the third store i went to. i was a little picky about what kind to get, in the case of the selection at target i didn't want an eveready or energizer light because i find the bunny to be annoying. so long live to the new flashlight. it had been on my mind to look for a replacement for two reasons. i had been to a meetup event a month ago, an evening walk through a park, and the one i used there was a small one, not much range to it. the other was the storms this past week. didn't need one then but good idea to have one in case the power goes out. this one has three settings, one of them strobe light. i noticed the cashier who helped me find it had braces, i spoke of having them when i was young. she said she hates them, i know i did. this one uses a different kind of battery, two double-a, the previous one used two c-size batteries. 

 i am still hopeful to get to this movie, it just was released and next weekend would be nice. and hopefully at a closer theater as well. another stop i made was at a goodwill, where i bought 3 books and 3 DVDs. while there i heard a song that reminded me of the late bill young, a fellow performer. it was 'i'm alright' by kenny loggins. it was a song in one of his fringe shows. before departing i watched part of a USFL game, birmingham vs. philadelphia. and i did some researching online for things like the season schedule for baseball on Fox. in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 3 cents.

sing 2 movie

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'sing 2'. many of the original cast were in this one, and a few others were added. this one took place in what looked like hollywood. there were some lulls in this movie, at times it was predictable, but i really liked the music in it so the sum total is that i liked it. there were some U2 songs in this one, as bono, the band's front-man, is in the movie as a recluse. much like the earlier one, i liked the exuberant pig in it, but it was hard to like the shy elephant. there were some special features on the disc but i didn't watch much of those. 

once the movie was one it was time for errand running, as the post office would be closing for the day in an hour. i picked up one e-bay order and paid 6 months for my box. then it was to the capitol to drop off recycling, then to the gas station to ump the movie. then it was time to go home and have lunch, got that done just before a USFL game started on Fox. first time i had seen the new jersey generals play, and i had the jumbo button, an e-bay order, on display. generals beat the new orleans breakers, and there was a weather delay in the 3rd quarter. then it was time for the news, and then going to aldi for the weekly grocery order. i needed fewer items this week due to the cans of soup i had found a week earlier. then i had some home run inn pizza and watched 'top gun' on CBS, which had some 'behind the scenes' looks at the upcoming sequel. later on i went on a walk and found 82 cents.

pumpkins on tour

 this week i saw an email saying the band smashing pumpkins are on tour this year. this includes a tour stop in st. paul, in early november. i will have to ask my college roommate if this is of interest, as this is who got me interested in their music. i have seen them twice in concert, three times if you count zwan, front-man billy corgan's other band. sounds like there is a new album out, and i am used to how concert tours are for promoting a new album. but of course i would want to hear more than just new music, as ones from 'mellon collie' interest me a lot. 

at work i wanted to see that things were caught up before leaving the shop, as i have a day off monday for  a dental appointment. i saw the text confirming it and responded to it, after my phone was done with the battery charging. it seems to work well to charge it at work, as i put in on a shelf in the back. trying to figure out weekend plans, i know a french movie is playing but the three theaters showing it aren't as close as i would prefer. i made it to hy-vee in eagan for my weekly grocery order and noticed some twinkies and cupcakes with a patriotic theme. guess it is a reminder of summer is upon us soon. i didn't buy any but i hope some are still there next week. still working on easter candy but it will be done soon. i got a bottle of hofbrau so now there are 3 beers waiting. later on i went on a walk and found 77 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when amy and leonard attended a wedding together. howard and bernadette stay with his mom and she sounds like his mom when yelling. it was followed by the one where leonard and sheldon buy helium on the black market and then watch 'ernest goes to jail' with who they bought it from. amy's phone is hijacked by her friends because she is internet dating, a thing i didn't enjoy being depicted. but it is sadly realistic about how some friends act. 

lights are on

 i got a call from my boss in the morning saying the power was out at the worksite. and about going to get my laptop in order to load files. except i am not set up or working from home when i print checks. i didn't recognize the number so i let it go to voicemail, then i called and found out what was happening. i drove in, lights were on, everything looked fine. so i went to work. there was a team huddle as scheduled but i think most were joining virtually. i had somebody ask for tracking numbers, then after i had more questions such as check numbers the search was called off. so i might not have even seen these checks at all. i picked up 2 boxes of envelopes from the branch, while there somebody needed help with the change counter so i notified a branch employee. i called the envelope company about the order that arrived by UPS ground last week and was told it was due to clerical error. a ticket opened on a check printer was called about, no action for a week, only mention of ordering parts. sounds like it is being upgraded though. in the evening i went on a walk and found 55 cents. there was some rain but it was later in the evening than the previous day, and some storm warnings as well. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when penny claimed a chair and sheldon didn't like it. this is the one where penny said 'what's up buttercup'. leonard does a virtual date with priya and the screen froze. it was followed by the one where the friends take a fencing lesson from kripke. i drank the bottle of hofbrau with the evening meal so now 2 beers are waiting. 

watch for pricks

 i went to a medical clinic near work around midday to send them mail that was sent to the bank. it was my second time there, and i was recognized from the previous visit. i noticed the sign in the parking lot, it said 'watch for pricks' and it depicted a cactus. notable about the workday was going to the branch to deposit a treasury check. it came in with refund checks and at first they couldn't deposit it. but the teller found it by their name, one digit was missing from the account number. a technician was in to work on the envelope stuffer, it was a dirty sensor. during my walks i found 35 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when penny was about to go back to nebraska but then got  hemorrhoid commercial. it was funny when amy said she couldn't allow that. it was followed by the one where sheldon interviews roommate candidates after being disappointed when leonard and penny want to live together after getting married. after these reruns the news was  about the weather. and when i switched to ABC, no surprise how 'the conners' wasn't on. but just before 9pm they went back to regular programming as the storm had passed through the metro area. so then i felt more comfortable about laying down.

topo chico mineral water

 there was more food and drink to be found and claimed, this time in the breakroom at work. i claimed a bottle of topo chico mineral water, made in mexico, in a glass bottle. bottlecap says 'twist of grapefruit'. i drank it at lunchtime. other items claimed included two bags of cereal. one was still in a box but the other was just a bag. and there was 7 packs of peanut butter crackers, which i am keeping in the shop. i got help to have the rest of the envelope boxes moved to the shop. i got 6 more moved down by myself, one at a time, whenever i was on that floor i brought down a box. same manager from last week used her hatchback to get it done, it was the remaining 23 boxes. an intern stepped in for the other employee. just as well, because when he arrived at the shop to ask about it and offer help he laughed at me when i was trying to get him empty boxes from the shelf. i even said i didn't see what was so funny about it. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 92 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj switched places with leonard because leonard is dating priya. it was followed by the one where the friends take a famous scientist's van to mexico and it is eventually engulfed in flames. 

clear american spring water

 besides the food items i claimed recently, there was some drinks as well in cans, five in all. this evening i drank the can of clear american spring water with the meal. it was orange flavored, tasted good, and the can said it was from walmart. others were from costco, faygo, and waterloo. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 91 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when howard's mom was in the hospital. this is my favorite one as it is where bernadette asks 'me?' about the mom wanting to see her first. it was followed by the one where sheldon does the broken-up edition of 'fun with flags'. i performed at the open-mic as well, on near the end. when i went out to get a look at my notes i was asked if i was going to be good. she said she and her friends were there for her birthday party. it surprised me that people pay attention as much to what i do, guess i must be pretty decent. there was 2 stories about work, 2 stories about beer, and one about the loopy postal employee. i responded to the music teacher playing a ukulele,  since one of those songs was 'kiss me', from the movie 'she's all that'. the flautist told jokes this time, and after she danced with the MC it caught me off-guard when i was asked for my opinion bout her set. at first i didn't now what to say, but when she left the showroom to talk to someone else i went out there too. i said it reminded me of my sets, talking about my own life, and the absurdities observed in it. she said her flute was broken. we had to compete with some people being loud, looked like somebody was kicked out of the showroom for being drunk. at work there was another meeting scheduled at the last minute, about having to destroy more checks. this didn't thrill me at all. and i let my boss know about the envelope order, got 6 boxes moved to the shop, 29 to go. whenever i went to that floor, i decided to take a box with me. he said do what you can, and would be in later in the week. 

baseball on nbc

 i checked the paper and found out there would be baseball on NBC, but an early start. so i watched the game that began mid-morning, white sox at red sox, white sox won 3-2. there was archival footage shown of the history of baseball on NBC, starting with the first telecast in 1939, all the way through 2000. so this was the network's first baseball telecast in over 20 years. i got used to the sport being on fox, but i don't think fox has had a game of the week yet. i know the main complaint i had was them showing the new york teams all the time, same as other networks. looks like the cardinals will be on in two weeks, against the pirates. before the game was on i watched a DVD, it was the anniversary video about the st. paul saints. then after the NBC game i watched the saints game, the saints lost to the iowa cubs 10-3. during the game they kept showing their karaoke guy running a marathon. so this was a big day for me and baseball, 3 events. i spent some time re-copying notes as well, discovering some things again. 'the simpsons' was about pranking. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 3 cents. i found some more food items in a paper grocery bag as well. i claimed three items, a can of soup, a box of breakfast bars, and a bag of microwave popcorn. and much like the previous day, what i didn't claim was moved to the front door of a food bank. 

tin whiskers vienna lager

 went to the st. paul saints baseball game this afternoon, and on the way there after i parked i stopped at tin whiskers. i am aware this micro-brewery is closing soon and wanted to get there one more time. i got a can of vienna lager, tasted good but i do prefer  lager. the minnesota twins game was on TV there, against the oakland A's. i was there long enough to drink the beer, then it was on to the stadium. the saints were playing the iowa cubs, and the saints won 9-2. a 3-run home run put them ahead for good, by a player who had just arrived. i was tired and wanted to stay out of the sun as much as possible so i didn't spend much time sitting in the general admission section. so i walked around a lot. i ate before i got there but i bought two items in the main souvenir shop, both were beer cozies, one for a can and the other a bottle. they were ones of interest during the off season so i printed a page from their website. it is the first of likely 10 games i will be attending this season so i wanted to pace myself, no need to get it all this early. i claimed some peanuts on the way out, consolidating 5 partial bags into a big one. 

it was an active day, especially before the game. i watched a DVD movie, 'american underdog', a redbox rental. i had seen it at theaters in january. i made a note of a song in it, searched it later on and found out it was 'change of time' by josh ritter. then it was time for errand running. first stop the post office, two e-bay orders picked up, the button was a big one. then to the copy store to get the saints ticket printed, as well as a closure notice from a movie theater in maplewood. then i dumped the movie, but at a walgreen and not the holiday gas station as it was closer to home on the route i was taking. then i got gas at a speedway. it was time for lunch, had a pot pie. i also heated up a strudel from aldi in the oven, starting early enough so i still had time to get to the game. after it i watched the news and went to aldi for my weekly grocery order. i watched some of a USFL game, but fell asleep. later on i went on a walk and found 80 cents. i found two bags of groceries as well, and claimed some of them. this included a box of girl scout cookies, 2 cans of tuna, and a can of chili. still hard to believe how much unopened, non-perishable food i see in the area. the items i didn't want i moved to the door in front of a food bank. 

hy-vee pennant

 i made it to the hy-vee in eagan tonight for my weekly grocery order. i bought a pennant, it was of a race car that the chain store is sponsoring. i like how it didn't cost much. on a nearby table, there is plenty of other merchandise related to this car. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 20 cents. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when howard did a card trick that sheldon couldn't figure out. penny crashed leonard's date with priya, then leonard asks penny to move. then the st. paul saints baseball game was on, against the iowa cubs. i watched some of it before and after the grocery store. the saints lost 6-2. at work i printed 3 days worth of the fargo files, 2 days went out. the other one i can finish on monday. near the end of the day i saw the envelope shipment on another floor, likely due to the broken elevator. so i am not sure how i will be getting all of the boxes down to the check shop.

finally, a luncheon

 after multiple delays, there was finally a luncheon for the department i am in. i am still not familiar with all of the people there, but i was one of seven. a few people were absent, decided to work from home. we went to the mexican restaurant near the workplace, first time there. first thing i noticed was the gun on the wall, it was a colt 45, and there was a wood cut of the state of texas as well. i drank some pineapple jarritos soda, a reminder of a place i had performed at. and i ate one of the lunch specials. i still brought my lunch, but i left the can of ravioli at work and will have it on friday. i ate the raisins and the animal crackers though, as well as some keebler cookies found in the payroll section. still not a lot of checks going out, due to waiting for a solution on the two fargo files. in the afternoon i was invited to a meeting that was beginning right away, it lasted more than an hour. during that time i imported two files, and then waited for i.t. to find a work around so two more would be on dashboard so i could import them by the end of the day. only the overnighted checks went out, the others will have to wait another day longer. i was told to destroy the ones from the previous day, and will do so when i have the time. the boss said i don't have to write 'void' on all of them. fine with me, as there were thousands. in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 22 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon plays dirty to get the roommate agreement he wants with leonard and priya. it was followed by the one where leonard and penny decide to elope in las vegas, and amy said 'goodbye sheldon', as i recall a season finale. i drank the can of modelo with the evening meal so now there are 3 beers waiting.

meetup moving party

 in the evening after doing my after-work routine i went to a meetup event. it was a moving party. the event coordinator was the retired postal worker. when i arrived i was told they had just finished the work part. there was plenty of packed boxes and i got a picture of them. those who helped were paid cash. there still was the party segment though- having pizza, and beer. first it was frozen pizza from the toaster oven, then it was pizza ordered from luce, two pies. at one point the dude explained why he had the event, saying he got into a dispute with the landlord and this was cheaper than paying the movers to pack things up. i also got two items that he didn't want to move, some bottled water, and a book i was reading, 'stupid history'. the movers were scheduled to arrive in the morning, and the move is to the other side of the metro area. it meant not seeing 'the conners' but i didn't mind as i like the book i got. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 10 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when amy and sheldon do a gossip experiment. howard proposes to bernadette. it was followed by the one where the moms of sheldon and leonard meet. at work there was two meetings, both virtual. the first was one of those quarterly meetings about company performance. the other was about returned checks. at first i was lost about what business line, but it is the one in oregon. i don't see that many checks from them. there was also an issue with the two largest files i do, from fargo. about an hour after the file dropped, i was told the checks weren't good. i was more than halfway done with printing them by then, so i am letting them sit in the shop and i won't send them out yet. and i pulled out an overnight envelope from the stack at the end of the day.

check stock in hatchback

 i had just returned from the breakroom, had heated up some soup, and there was 2 people next to the check shop door. it was the check stock order. surprised me it arrived this quickly, as it was just a day earlier where i was answering questions about the monthly supply order. i sent them to the upper level due to them having a truck and not a cargo van. then i realized the elevator was broken. i was starting to lay down boxes and a manager (not mine) said she and another employee could help get them to the lower level, by loading them in her hatchback. it was 42 boxes and having three on this project was helpful. but it was more than 30 minutes spent on it so i was a little behind on my normal duties. i found some ways to get caught up, one of these was using both of the check printers. there was another supply order that arrived. it was a small box that had air cans and courier envelopes, in the morning. in the evening i went on a walk and found 29 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when penny said 'give him his stuff back' to a bully, and bernadette said 'that bitch' about priya. it was followed by the one where raj had his allowance cut off by his dad, then he plays his parents off against one another. a little helicopter wreaks havoc.

supply order addendum

 i got an i.m. asking about an item on the monthly supply order i had submitted on friday, it was about the air cans. then i said i needed to add some things to the order, it was envelopes, both of those have the same code in the corner. it meant acting quickly as i was told my colleague would be out of the office for part of the week and needs approval from a senior leader for the order. after what happened with previous orders i didn't want to guess wrong about when i might run out of any of the envelopes i use. better to have too many than not enough, as it cuts down on the return mail that arrives in this office. otherwise, work was largely uneventful, nobody rang the check shop doorbell all day. sometimes this is the case but not too often. there was a virtual meeting but i didn't follow it too closely. i wanted to get work done during that time so i did. i think it was about survey results. in the evening i went on a walk and found 73 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when bernadette lies for penny to priya. it was followed by the one where sheldon invents chess pieces, and penny walks out of an audition. after work i went to the liquor store near work and got a can of modelo so now 4 beers are waiting. 

mondale memorial service

 this afternoon i watched the memorial service for ex-VP walter mondale. i lucked out on finding it on TV, Fox-9, as it was not open to the public. as a performer of course i responded well to the music performed at the end of the service. this included 'tomorrow' from 'annie' as well as the U. of Minn. band doing the fight song, and 'battle hymn of the republic'. some of the speakers told nice stories. president biden was one of the speakers, likely the the longest speech. this was followed by mondale's two sons, who closed out the lineup of the speakers before getting to the music. i had seen some memorials on TV for public servants before, as a history major i figured it was a good idea to watch them. it was on the U. of Minnesota campus, Northrop Auditorium. this is a venue i had seen events at before. there was a comedy show- robin williams- and a music show- snow patrol. this is what led to looking through event tickets in the evening, and i did find the stub from the snow patrol show. as i recall i have a postcard of this venue as well. 

in the morning i watched a DVD movie, 'blues brothers 2000'. it was one of two movies on a disc i had bought from amazon, along with the original movie in the franchise. it wasn't that good. i liked seeing john goodman in it, liked seeing soldier field being depicted in one scene, and there were plenty of famous musicians in it. during a battle of the bands this included travis tritt, and eric clapton. i recognized paul shaffer, and blues traveler, in the movie as well. some things just didn't work for me, such as spray painting the band's name on a mercedes benz. defacing a luxury car seems wrong. once the movie was done i got started on doing laundry. during that time i had lunch, some pizza. in the evening i went to perform at an open-mic, nice seeing some familiar faces there such as the wisconsin couple, and the bathtub comic. it might have been the first time for these three since the pandemic hit. there was a crowd member that kept becoming a part of the show, and she found me after my set and said she liked what i did. sounds like she wants to perform at a later show. the ones that got the most reaction were likely the ones where i skewered some family members. later on i went on a walk  and found 1 dollar 56 cents.