i'm fully insured

 there were two courier pick-ups of checks today at work, the first was in the morning. the other was while i was still at lunch, and at that one i was told 'i am fully insured'. all i asked for was the name of who was picking it up so i could report back to who requested it. also at work, a technician arrived, fourth time in two weeks, about the envelope stuffer. i am told it needs a new pump, explains why it wasn't sealing envelopes that well or at all. and some mention of felt in the reservoir or trap. still a backlog, all fargo checks, but this will hopefully be eliminated by the end of the week. all 8 of the delayed I-pay checks were in the midday file drop, matched up by vendor number and amounts. i submitted a claim online, final day to do so, related to vehicle registration. i asked for payment by check, it will not be much, just 4 dollars apparently. so it will likely go to my savings account with the credit union when it arrives. later on i went on a walk and found 78 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when leonard and amy went on a scavenger hunt that didn't last long. while sheldon and penny looked into each other's eyes. it was followed by the one where howard and bernadette go to the 'zone zone', and eventually so does sheldon, who enjoys it more than they do.

seinfeld hat

 when i was out for a walk i saw a seinfeld hat on the pavement, so i put it in the next trash bin that i saw. it is still odd what one sees when out and about. i know it was a popular show but i didn't watch it much, wasn't my thing. during this walk i found 1 dollar 5 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when amy did experiments on penny. it was followed by the one where the scientists from fermi-lab met sheldon and amy about their paper. at work it was a tough day. the envelope stuffer stopped a lot. coupled with the fargo business line starting to send remediation checks, it meant plenty of checks did not go out because i had to babysit the machine. then in the afternoon there was a dial-in meeting because my boss found out about immediate pay checks that did not go out because i did not get them. there was an I.T. issue so some I.T. people were put on the call as well. in spite of it all, the checks that needed to go out did. although i am not sure about what is to be done in terms of eliminating the backlog. i did call for service because parts arrived at the end of monday, but no response as to when a technician will arrive. one check is ready for courier pick-up, not sure how it will work. the employee picking it up isn't the requestor, and i realized they are picking it up early in the day, before the branch opens. when i reminded them of this they were offline. i did give my phone number as well so i guess they can call me if needed.

the same plaza

 i finished the box of dunkin donuts cereal this morning and got another one after work. i found it at another CVS pharmacy, in the same plaza as a venue where i once saw a friend perform at with gilbert gottfried. it is the third CVS i have visited after searching online for who still has the cereal. it has been harder to find so my guess is it has been discontinued. at work a technician arrived mid-morning, as there was another complaint about the envelopes not sealing well enough. i would like to think it is fine now, although i didn't like the tech speeding up the machine. even after he left the machine was still running fast, and i entered a lower setting on the keypad. i prefer a lower setting as it is less likely to stop, and it stopped a lot in the afternoon. i performed at an open-mic in the evening, basically the same set as the night before. the mic went out during my set and i was advised to switch to another one. a crowd member recognized me from another venue and was disappointed that i went on early. later on i went on a walk and found 1 cent. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when amy wrote stories about sheldon as a time traveler. it was followed by the one where zac wanted a sperm donor.

beautiful girls movie

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a recent purchase from amazon, 'beautiful girls'. it was an all-star cast, recognized uma thurman, rosie o'donnell, matt dillon, mira sorvino, mike rapaport, and natalie portman in it. it reached the top of my list because it is a class reunion movie and it was filmed in minnesota. although not much actually takes place at the reunion itself. it is about a circle of friends, once one of them gets back in town for the reunion. as for the places i recognized, i did see bryant lake bowl, in uptown minneapolis, but in only one scene. i have been to that venue many times for shows, but haven't bowled there yet. another minnesota movie reminds me of how i haven't went snowmobiling yet either. the story is compelling on many levels. there is the piano player who talks to the neighbor girl often. there is the friend who is obsessed with supermodels and named his dog after one. there is the lady who shows up at her ex's party. and the friends who go out drinking together just about every night. since the story is centered around the piano player, it makes sense that it ends when he leaves town as the story begins with his arrival. 

after the movie was done i got some other things done throughout the day. i did laundry, and went to perform at an open-mic in the evening. like many others, i had a story about attending the state fair. also got reaction from the stories about visiting a museum, and a cemetery tour. during my walks i found 1 dollar 28 cents. there was a segment on the news about the grandstand at the state fairgrounds. liked seeing it although i was familiar with much of what was covered in it. in the afternoon after doing laundry i got a can of modelo so now 4 beers are waiting.

oakland cemetery tour

 this morning i did a meetup event, a cemetery tour, oakland in st. paul. it is a tour of minnesota history, in this case the tour guide wanted to highlight the US-Dakota war of 1862 as many of those involved with it are buried there. i was given a handout at the start of the event, first page has the dates of the war in it. along with various maps and pictures and writings about those involved. another handout was given out at the end, a single page, by someone else, about the young people who died in the war. there was one dude there who kept usurping the tour guide, then later spoke of writing a book, although i think unrelated to the subject of the tour, and then said he was presenting it online. i was recognized there by somebody from another meetup event, probably the july 4th picnic. i had to check what i did on memorial day and didn't do any events that day. i picked up two orders from the post office before the tour, which finished just after 12noon. it started raining shortly after i left the cemetery. then i went home to have lunch, a pot pie. i laid down for a little while and when i got up i went to jc penney in roseville and got a shirt for the office. it was from the shaquille o'neal line, in the discount section. also got a pair of socks, used two gift cards to knock down the final price. i got a blizzard treat at dairy queen as well. then it was home again, and over to the aldi for my weekly grocery order. i had dinner, red baron pizza, while online doing an interview for a friend's twitch show. i decided not to try logging back on when the thunderstorm happened, which must have knocked me offline. i had been on for over two hours by then. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 16 cents. also in the afternoon while laying down i was reviewing text messages and dialed the retired postal worker by mistake. so we still talked for a few minutes, and he spoke of going to ren-fest sometime soon.

an all-iday?

 i went to hy-vee in eagan tonight and there was a chalkboard near the front door saying it was an 'all-iday'. celebrating various holidays on the same day i guess. but i didn't buy any of the specials. last week i noticed the halloween candy was put on display though. and i used the gift card i got for my birthday as well, less than a dollar left for me to pay for on this week's order. at work, it took a while to get caught up. things were a mess after returning from a day at the state fair. still don't know why my boss called me on my day off, all for a business card to call a technician. the number to call for service was already on the dry erase board, and that tech wasn't even the one that arrived this morning. and the machine still isn't working that well. so not sure when the parts are arriving, was told they were delayed. one of the many overnights was over 300 checks going to a colleague in kentucky, probably near cincinnati. later in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 9 cents. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when the friends went paintball gaming. there was drama between stuart and denise, raj and anu. 

free to migrate

 there are many pictures i have from day one of the MN state fair, but the one on a statue of liberty stands out as it its what the day is about. it says 'free to migrate'. this was in the agriculture building, also where i saw the displays about 'ghostbusters' and 'great pumpkin'. i arrived before the two people i did the fair with, including the retired postal worker. i got a malt at the place next to the giant slide. after this it was plenty of stops for beer as he likes his beer, as well as to enjoy the live music. met them at the bazaar. there was some bluegrass, world music, and blues. i did drink more beer than typical, but i think due to the walking i burned off some of it. there was lift bridge, surly, and grain belt. for food it was a chili dog, garlic fries, and a pulled pork sandwich. the last stop of the day was the fine arts building, something i requested. saw the fancy comic there. always some good art there, three stood out to me. there was a little girl in a winter coat and boots, the louis sullivan bank in owatonna, and  basketball hoop in a cemetery. i have been to that bank. before the fine arts i got one of two stuffed animals near the history building and the marketplace. saw a man in a cheerios shirt dancing at two of the places we stopped at. bus routes were hard to follow, but i lucked out. the driver still got me fairly close to home although i am told that bus line is on a rush hour schedule and it looked like i would need to walk the last two miles home. so of course i said thank you. driver said it was not a big deal, on his way back to the garage. when i got back i went on a walk and found 29 cents. saw a forklift outside the dollar store and all of the shelves had been moved out. 

easter sunday movie

 tonight i went to see a movie, 'easter sunday', in eagan. i recognized tia carrere and lou diamond phillips in it. as well as a third, the love interest of the main character's son. i had seen 'wild rose', about a filipina singer living in texas, same actress. saw it because i still see myself as a student of the craft, performing. there were some things relatable in it, besides the theme of family also when a performer has to deal with non-performers. many things in it work for me-stand up comedy, photography, and karaoke. they talk about karaoke and eventually sing, so it would have been wrong if they don't sing karaoke. even learned something. a song in it, 'islands in the stream', was written by the bee gees, but better known as a duet by another music act. all because i stayed to read the closing credits. usually i don't see movies in theaters on a weeknight, but i checked fandango and there was limited screenings so i told myself that i need to see it now. while watching it i did think of a former coworker, who is filipino. he has encouraged me to visit his native land, still haven't made it yet but might make it someday. 

at work my vacation replacement showed up in the shop twice, the second time was in the afternoon when i was starting to close out the day. i cleaned up a few things as i knew i was going to be out of the office the next day. a big oblong box arrived, dumped at the branch, found near the end of the day. so it was sent to the delivery table on another floor. the two fargo check files arrived late, so i loaded them as it was all i had time to do. a file from st. louis had some duplicate checks in it, i had to take out more than half. before the movie i got some dunkin donuts iced coffee at the nearby walgreen. after the movie i saw a flyer near the front door about an art festival next month in eagan, so i claimed one as we know i like festivals. there was two posters on display of movies that interest me. there was a preview for one tonight, it was the one with george clooney and julia roberts, 'ticket to paradise'. the other is the bio-pic about musician whitney houston. then i drove home and when i got there i went on a walk and found 1 dollar. looked inside the dollar store and now it is just bare walls, two pepsi fridges and an empty energizer battery display. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when levar burton is a guest star and sheldon decides to put 'fun with flags' back on the air. it was followed by the one where leonard and raj track down citations for sheldon and amy.

monarch saltine crackers

 i claimed all of these packs of saltine crackers from work in the past month after one day of eating the cheez-it crackers. i have nearly finished the saltines, eating 8 a day, 4 2-packs at a time. looking at the wrapper, it meant something when it says it was distributed by us foods in rosemont, illinois, which is suburban chicago. same town where i would go see concerts and hockey games when i was living in the area. the company logo says monarch, est. 1853, and is a red lion. also at work there was an upskilling session, much of it was about social media activity. and i finally changed the toner cartridge on the main check printer, after finding out it was still printing but one could no longer read the checks. so it meant re-printing some checks. still need to send the others to the shred bin. somebody was scared due to opening the door to the breakroom. in the evening i went on a walk and found 7 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon said 'take me to leonard' who had surgery. then both of them had work done on their noses as sheldon ran into a revolving door. it was followed by the one where sheldon tries to bond with amy's parents. i also spent some time re-copying notes and consolidating, hopefully it leads to actually looking things up.

avoiding the atm

 i was headed to an open-mic tonight and wanted to stop at an ATM but decided not to as there was a crowd at the one i wanted to use. didn't know how long of a wait it would be. so it meant using my card for the beer i drank after checking in at the show. i was a little off, not all things on my list were covered. went off-topic a little. a younger guitar player i hadn't seen for a little while arrived near the end of the night, to give the emcee a joke book. i said there was still time to perform as well, and he was the show closer, doing 'above and beyond', a buck owens song, with the emcee as comedy foil, they did not face each other so he could avoid laughing. one thing i recognized was doing the macarena. early on somebody did leonard cohen's 'hallelujah'. at work there was no visitors to the shop, which is rare. nice to get caught up on running checks through. i claimed a box from the mail room once it was emptied by who sorts the mail. after the show i drove home and went on a walk and found 60 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the friends tried to have a prom, but it has the same amount of drama as a real one. it was followed by the one where leonard is in charge of grant money.

once upon a time in venice movie

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a recent purchase from amazon, 'once upon a time in venice'. i recognized bruce willis and john goodman in it. i had seen a promo for it on a disc of another bruce willis movie, a redbox rental, so it looked good enough for me. a little surprised it was from a different year though, released 2017 if i am not mistaken. it is about a private eye who goes on a quest to get his dog back. it involves some weird and funny scenes, like dressing up as a pizza delivery man, and riding on a skateboard naked. goodman plays his best friend, who owns a surfboard shop. bruce has an assistant, who is entrusted with finding a graffiti artist. it works for me, although i usually don't go for a farce. and this would be considered a farce when it is a ridiculous and unlikely storyline. 

before putting in the movie i tried to find some hash browns, but they weren't out yet at the holiday station. so i went to the speedway and got some breakfast pizza, and a can of sparkling water. the latter was for the meals later in the day. not long after the movie was done it was time for lunch, had some red baron pizza. then in the afternoon i went to the minnesota history center for my third and final visit in the program i had signed up for. nice that there was free parking, although this time it was due to no attendant and there was a sign saying the parking system was offline. i stayed until closing, nearly three hours. started off with coloring in a lumberjack that was put on a stick. i went through some of the slides in grainland, and near the jenny plane exhibit i was surprised to find out there was an airport at larpenteur and snelling. this is not far from what is now the state fairgrounds. a teenage girl said she was fascinated with many of the decades of the 20th century, when inside the 'greatest generation' exhibit. when i got home i watched some of the st. paul saints baseball game, saints beat scranton in another walk-off . then i laid down for a while. throughout the day i got some things put away, and it was nice to find two gift cards i had been given for my birthday. more likely to use them now that they are in an envelope with the others. during my walks i found 32 cents. 

shattered movie

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'shattered'. i recognized john malkovich in it. this was a thriller, about a rich man getting a divorce and is duped by a con artist. malkovich plays the motel manager where the con artist lives. it kept me guessing until the end. although i found it odd that one character said 'i will help you' after seeing him in peril but wanted to be paid first. nice seeing a picasso painting in it. the police didn't show up after being called, or at least showed up really late. so there were some holes in the story. after it was done i got going on my errand running, no orders to pick up from the post office, just a catalog of classes from a college. on to dump the movie at the gas station, then to the credit union to deposit a check and ask about setting up online banking. then i went home and had lunch, some red baron pizza, and the other stops waited until after lunch. this was taking the recycle to the capitol, and getting some things printed at the copy store, where i saw a family doing passport photos. i laid down for a while, and when i woke up it was time to go to the aldi and get my weekly grocery order. it was evening by then so i put in a pot pie and watched the baseball game, moved to Fox plus as the vikings preseason game was on regular Fox. so it meant the saints game, or actually doubleheader, was bumped from Fox plus. good game on, pitching duel between the astros and braves, won by the braves 5-4 in 11, it was tied 1-1 after 9. in the morning i got a small bottle of milk and a 'frosty the snowman' coloring book from a nearby gas station. during my walks i found 1 dollar 73 cents.

morning rainbow

 while driving to work this morning i saw a partial rainbow as i got started. later on i saw a full one. it reminded me of getting a picture of one 6 years ago and it showed up in the memory section of my facebook page. so i shared it again. i said it now reminds me of the kacey musgraves song. it led to me finding the song on youtube and listening to it there. at work there was a complaint about checks being sent in envelopes that were half-sealed or not sealed at all. this was in the afternoon, around the time the technician showed up. the issue was fixed, a part was dirty. sounds like the tech will be back next week to install some parts that need replacement. there was a joke about the state fair. some checks were run through in the morning, left over from the previous day, before the tech arrived. so i let them know there would be some more. i had a weird dream about losing my car, but in the morning it was there when i needed to get to work. in the evening i went to hy-vee in eagan for my weekly grocery order. the strawberry ice cream i got didn't taste as good as i am used to. i watched some of the st. paul saints baseball game, after some news. there was a rain delay. also caught some of it on the radio when driving to and from hy-vee, the saints came from behind and beat scranton. during my walks i found 11 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when billy bob thornton was a guest star and was wooing penny. it was followed by the one where amy was pulled off her project because sheldon asked the university president to do so.

dog pictures

 there was a dial-in meeting that began at midday, moderator was the senior leader i had met at the twins game in april. near the end there were comments bout liking somebody's dog, then some shared pictures of their dogs. hard to understand when that is not why we were meeting, and i wasn't paying attention to this when i was mostly listening to the moderator and not looking at anyone ese. the meeting ran over the time allotment. some of it was about waiting for regulator approval on an acquisition and some was about positions opening up due to retirement. as usual it was hard to know when there was something relevant to me. i am thankful i still got some work done during this time, such as overnight labels and getting checks into inter-office envelopes. i also sent an instant message saying there were checks to pick up, but said i couldn't chat due to the meeting. response was that it was fine to wait until it was done. one of the things spoken about was a pedestrian bridge hit by a truck that was taken down and it caused a traffic issue due to the road closure, it had made the news. not all checks went out, but those that needed to did. i decided to get caught up on other things, such as call about my benefits. and i knew there was an issue with the machine not sealing all of the envelopes. tried to call later in the day but was told they needed to look it up, wasn't called back. so i guess it means making it a service call the next day. i drank the can of budweiser with the evening meal so now 3 beers are waiting. later on i went on a walk and found 50 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon and raj did a mining simulation. it was followed by the one where sheldon's friend tam, from texas, visits. 

peacock riddle

 while waiting to be called up or our team huddle, the team was milling around and i saw a colleague, my vacation replacement, entering a riddle about peacocks on a dry erase board. i think i knew the answer because he even spoke of there being a red herring. i wanted to stay active during the wait so i got refund checks i had scanned and sent them up. this colleague had sugar cookies, and just as i had chose one i saw we were going up. doorbell rang early, second straight day the mail needed a cart due to an additional box being delivered. this was hard to tell for sure, but it was for payroll and in a copy paper box and may have been more inter-office envelopes. still trying to find the time to look at the written procedure and update it, i have until the end of the month. late in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 10 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when penny was a party pooper, trying to study when her friends are having fun in las vegas. but she gets revenge the next morning, as both of them are drunk. the dudes are trying to get work done, but end up going off-topic and watch movies, including 'ghostbusters'. it was followed by the one where raj has his first date with anu. 

deposit box auditing

 mid-morning when checking for deliveries i saw the branch manager and another employee in the safe deposit box area of the bank. i said this area is normally deserted. i was told that some auditing was being done. i saw some cards that looked like the card catalog from libraries. just before midday i went to the dairy queen and had a vanilla cone. nice that there was no waiting in line. i was told to overnight 3 estate checks to the same address in chicago that they were returned from, after holding them for a day. there was some mention of the recipient didn't know what day they would be arriving. late in the evening i went on a walk and found 75 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns where when the friends considered buying stuart's comic book store. red-haired emily met raj's friends. it was followed by the one where sheldon and amy go on a scavenger hunt after getting a mystery wedding gift. then the original giver found out how it had been re-gifted. 

public bathrooms at night

 sometimes one has to use public bathrooms at night. this was one of those nights, as i had performed at the open-mic. for whatever reason, it brought back memories of doing so in years past. two of these that stand out were when i was living in suburban chicago. first was when i had just moved and saw the movie 'last days of disco', in glen ellyn. the other was when i saw a concert, the pretenders, at a theater on the city's north side. the latter had an attendant, i don't see those too often. guess it is a good memory because i am of course out doing something if i have to use one. notables from the set were attending the chicken show at fringe, and being annoyed at aldi. at work a technician showed up at midday, earlier than expected per the email. the serial number or part number was found for the expansion tray to be ordered for a check printer, and now i know where it is on the unit. i spoke of how there have been some paper jams lately, but not a big deal on clearing those. the jams are still happening a little too often though. at mid-morning when i sent a box to the branch i found out the manager didn't have the authority to sign off on sponsorships for the bank, and it meant the form i sent her was forwarded to someone else. one learns something new every day. late in the evening after performing i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 42 cents. looks like the family dollar is closed for good as the big red sign saying 'store closing' has been taken down. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when howard did his first pitch at an angels baseball game. it was followed by the one where sheldon and amy were in new york city for their honeymoon and we see sheldon throw away hot dogs. with tonight's finding of small change i have enough for an ice cream cone at the dairy queen near work. i don't think i had been to it yet this year, but i have been to others for blizzard treats when not working.

brother can you spare a dime movie

 mid-morning i watched a DVD movie, a recent purchase from cheapo, 'brother can you spare a dime'. it was a documentary about the great depression, released in 1975. i was familiar with many of the subjects, events. and people covered, having majored in history and this was my favorite era to study. a few things in it were new to me, such as animated scenes with famous people such as clark gable and jimmy stewart. not much in the sports world was covered, just joe louis the boxer. the special features were newsreels from the era. there was plenty of james cagney in this movie. and a scene from 'the brown derby', likely from 'what price hollywood', which inspired 'a star is born'. it ended with showing presidents taking the oath of office, all the way up to gerald ford. aside from that i was proud of things i got done, even if it was the mundane such as putting away festival buttons from recent festivals. and freeing up some pages so i could get this year's st. paul saints card set into the binder. i got the set at a game 2 weeks ago so it was time to get them moved. in the mid-afternoon and evening i got two things crossed off my list. first was getting to the water park in eagan. much like last year it was inspired by reading about a meetup event. this time it was inner tubing on a river outside of the metro. and i said it would likely be cheaper and closer to go to this park again. i spent a little over an hour there, the lazy river on an inner tube was nice. did that twice, at the start and end. i made it down other water slides as well. sometimes you just need to scream and laugh, did both there. then it was on to the kentucky fried chicken in the same town, inspired by seeing a fringe show this week. it tastes as good as i recall from being there many times before. although it was new to me to get a chocolate chip cookie. the plastic wrapper will be a thing added to my souvenirs from the festival, as i said in my review for the show that i would likely get some fried chicken soon. i did dishes a little early, then laid down for a while. then i went on a walk and found 86 cents. 

white elephant movie

 this morning i watched  a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'white elephant'. i recognized bruce willis and john malkovich in it. this was considered to be a thriller, a cop and gangster movie. bruce played the crime boss and john played his lawyer. the main part of the story was two cops being the witness to a mob hit, an then the gangsters tried to kill both of them but one of them was proving to be harder to kill than the other. liked seeing how one of the cops drove a ford mustang. she was paranoid but it proved that she had every right to be, not knowing who to trust. this was a free movie for me as i had enough points from previous redbox rentals. after it was done of course it was time to get the errand running done. there was seven places on my list. first one was going to the post office, where there was three items to pick up. one of them was my expired passport, so i filed it away next to the current one. then i went to the gas station and dumped the movie. i got some vitamin water and two hash browns, there was a buy one get one promotion and i like those a lot. then it was time to have lunch, so i went home and had some red baron pizza. then it was time to get the other five things done. went to the family dollar, but there wasn't much left for sale. and i didn't like the attitude from the employees, who were just standing around near the entrance. so i left rather quickly. then it was back into my car, where i got an advance state fair ticket at cub foods. then i went to cheapo and sold two DVDs i no longer wanted. it was taken off my bill, as i got another DVD, 'brother can you spare a dime'. my final stop on this drive was to the copy store, three items printed. it included my fringe reviews, and  meetup event i am doing later this month. then i went over to aldi for my weekly order, where i was annoyed by the rudeness of another patron. then i laid own for a little while. 

  when i woke up i knew it was time to get going again, to the st. paul saints baseball game. i arrived early, but not early enough to get the kevin millar bobble-head. not a big deal, already have plenty of bobbles. i later found a box in a recycle bin so i claimed it. this will still be a nice souvenir of the night, as the giveaway was in honor of retiring his uniform number 15. saints won, beat columbus 6-5. they led 3-0 at the end of the 1st, aided by a 2-run home run. but the visitors made it a game, at one point the saints trailed 5-3. saints tied it 5-5 with a 2-run shot in the 7th and went ahead in the 8th. i briefly spoke with mr. veeck, the saints boss, before the game. i got a hot dog because the food i got at speedway before i arrive at the stadium wasn't enough. the only sandwiches i found there were breakfast sandwiches, and those were small. after the game i went on a walk and found 34 cents. 

shotgun intros

 late in the evening i went to see yemen native perform at fringe central, red sea in the cedar riverside area of minneapolis. it was a showcase, and i was offered 3 minutes. it was shotgun intros, so the performer onstage would do the intro for the next one as there was no emcee. it was loud there and hard to tell if that many were paying attention. i prefer a little more stage time but you get what you get. always thankful for a chance to perform, and i tried a new one about my dad giving someone a nickname. lunch lady, whopper and belarus were some of the others on the lineup. it was the first time i had seen the headliner since october if i am not mistaken. this was day 9 of the fringe and i have been active in some form or another on 6 days of it. previously it was 2 nights of ushering and 3 days of attending shows. at work there was under 20 overnight packages to send out, that is a low volume day. in the morning it looked like a copier was in the process of being moved out. i was asked to send a copy of a deposit ticket on the refund checks and had to say they had been overnighted. found out they were sent out too soon but i understood when i get them, then send them. in the evening i got a can of warpigs pilsner before i went to the adjacent hy-vee in eagan for my weekly grocery order, so now there are 4 beers waiting. after performing i drove home and during that walk after getting home i found 38 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when amy became popular by playing her friends off against one another. howard takes sheldon's class. it was followed by the one where sheldon and amy are married. i like this one because penny said 'park it' to amy's mom.

writing seminar

 when i got home from work this evening i logged into a writing seminar on zoom. it gave some helpful hints, such as writers write. and sometimes needing to step away from things. a little odd when a moderator spoke of getting no writing done at retreats. the 'big bang theory' reruns were on at this time, but i didn't pay much attention to them. it was when sheldon was asked to be picked up from arizona, starting off half-naked. it was followed by the one where sheldon goes to texas to talk to his brother at his tire store. i had the evening meal during this time, and drank the can of schell's with it so now 3 beers are waiting. then it was time for the 'field of dreams' game on Fox. i did not watch last year as i was getting ready for going to Iowa for a graduation party for 2 nieces, getting gifts for them. i recall coming back with 2 boxes of corn flakes from the hy-vee in Ames, it was movie-themed. watching the game tonight reminded me of how i have visited the field 3 times, first time was about a year after the movie was at theaters. most recently it was in 2012. i once had a bumper sticker on my car from this place. i recognized how they played music from the movie at times, such as 'china grove', and clips from the movie as well. the cubs beat the reds 4-2. i would like to think this is a popular enough event that this may become an annual thing. i noticed plenty of VIPs there such as reds hall of famer johnny bench, as well as rob manfred, the commissioner. it would be nice to see the st. louis cardinals play in this game, but when they are slated to play the cubs next season in london it is not likely that they would do another showcase in the same season. later on i went on a walk and found 84 cents. 

fried chicken show

 attended my fourth, and likely final, show of the fringe festival tonight. it was the fried chicken show, 'finger licking good'. i had seen some shows that two of the ensemble cast members had been in, and i like bio-pics, so of course this one was going to be high on my list. laughed a lot during this one, who knew there were so many different ways to sexualize chicken? props being thrown onstage from the seating area caught me off-guard as well. liked the 'back to the future' reference with the 'listen to this scene', and having a fact checker as part of the show was brilliant. i will likely get some kentucky fried chicken this weekend. worked well to see the late show on a weeknight as it was a thinner crowd. it was great finding a historic marker outside the building, there was mention of bob hope visiting the university. at work it was  a busy day, 3 meetings, one of them was a birthday luncheon at a nearby restaurant. it meant some checks did not go out but the remaining ones will go out the next day. as usual there was requests for tracking numbers, one of them was for a check that was approved a day late. after the show i went on a walk and found 5 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon decides to ride the rails, a season finale as i recall. i know it for penny kissing sheldon on the cheek and then wiping it away. it was followed by the one where amy goes shopping for a wedding dress.

frosted flakes, frosted krispies

 there was more food to claim in the breakroom at work this morning. i claimed two boxes of cereal, frosted flakes with shaq, and frosted krispies. hadn't heard of the latter before, only of rice krispies. there was plenty of single serving tubs of frosted flakes as well, but when i already had 4 boxes of cereal at home i couldn't justify claiming any of those. also notable at work was in the afternoon, getting an I.M. about packages being delivered. so i checked the branch and two were dumped there, i brought them up. one was for the fixed assets supervisor. there was 40 overnight packages to send out. i felt swamped, it may have been why i passed over how one of the I-pay checks was to be set aside. so i will to notify this morning that it is ready to be picked up. after work i said i live 'the manic life of a comedian' but i made it to each stop on my list. first was to vote in the primary election, my precinct changed again. notable was seeing sandwiches in the vending machine, but i didn't get one. pressed button and it said $3.75. then it was home to eat. wasn't there for long as i needed to get on the light rail and to the fringe festival. it was my third and final shift of ushering. the show before it at the same venue had been canceled, likely due to covid. i ushered with a young man who hadn't heard of the wayans brothers from 'in living color'. his fiance was working the festival as well. not much found when going through the venue before the show, i kept a feather, and a program from a show earlier in the night. then it was back home on the light rail. during my walks i found 1 cent. 

report phishing

 sometimes at work there are emails to report as phishing. some are too obvious, such as the one today. it spoke of paying bitcoin and then they would leave us alone. i get emails later on saying i am entered into drawings due to reporting these emails. but i haven't won any of the drawings yet. a fairly routine day, although the lady who sorts mail brought a red bag just after i had picked up at the end of the day. but i hadn't run the cart out yet so not a big deal. still got it into a tub. and it was rather simple to un-jam the UPS box as the boxes were put inside the door and easily taken out so i could put the envelopes in all the way. some of these packages were put back in, those that fit, and those that didn't were set next to the box. some said they were for amazon returns. i performed at an open-mic tonight, near the end of the night, moved up because there was a no-show. i brought back the one about re-claiming my coat, since that venue had just closed. later on i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 32 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when professor proton died and sheldon wouldn't go to the funeral because it was on star wars day. it was followed by the one where the friends go visit a paranoid scientist that is a recluse in the woods.

million dollar baby movie

 this morning i put in a DVD movie, a recent purchase from family dollar, 'million dollar baby'. this was the last of three movies in this clint eastwood collection, and the only one i didn't see at theaters. also recognized hilary swank and morgan freeman in it. guess i have seen movies like this before, in terms of 'we know how this will end'. it starts off with the old man saying 'i don't train girls' but we all know there is no movie if he doesn't. fate intervenes, best way of wording it. it was a compelling story, although it becomes a tragic one. having morgan freeman as a narrator, besides just the boxing club employee, works for me. but we know that this actor is real good with voice-overs. going back to her hometown in missouri was also appropriate. liked seeing them get bagpipers for her introduction to one of the boxing matches. 

the movie was done around midday, so it was time for lunch by then, i had some red baron pizza. then it was time to get on the road, taking the light rail to the fringe festival. had to call an audible on what show i went to see once i got to rarig, as there was a long line for the chicken show so i went to another one on my list, in the same building. saw the show called 'hysterical woman'. i expect a lot from a show with historical content, and it left a lot to be desired. as a stage performer, it was hard to ignore how one of the performers kept tripping over words. i expected to see somebody who was more polished in her public speaking skills. it was the first showing of the chicken show so i have four more cracks at that one, so i will figure out when to see it later in the week. then i took the light rail home. i wasn't there for long, had the evening meal then i went to perform at an open-mic. cul-de-sac was there, the reason why i made it, who gave me a snow globe from a baseball game. i liked hearing how he will be performing in las vegas soon. i had plenty of stories about being at the fringe festival, the one with the most reaction was about who i was volunteering with. when i got home i went through the souvenirs so far and got most of them into sheet protectors. many of them of course are show announcement cards. during my walks i found 61 cents.

apex movie

 this morning i watched a DVD movie, a redbox rental, 'apex'. i recognized bruce willis in it. the storyline seemed familiar to me, a takeoff of 'most dangerous game' if i am not mistaken, as that is a story i read in high school. especially when one of the hunters is named 'rainsford'. six hunters, one prey. and one of them is killed early because he is an idiot and talks too much. the hologram lady was kind of funny. guess this gives me enough points now for another free rental from redbox. it was my first rental in a month, but i know it only works if i am able to see it in the first night and i was kind of busy for a little while. there was a preview for another bruce willis movie on this disc, 'once upon a time in venice'. it interests me because john goodman is also in it. so i will have to see where i can find it. then there was the chores to do since that is what i do on a saturday morning. there was one item at the post office, my passport. i was expecting to be out of town this weekend so there were no e-bay or amazon orders placed. then there was dropping off recycle at the capitol, and then it was time or lunch, some red baron pizza. 

   then i needed to get on the road again, to take the light rail to the fringe festival. i attended 2 shows, the first was a karaoke and burlesque show. i was a singer in it, sang 'raise your glass' by pink. the list was limited but in a rush i said this is the one. i was focused on singing so i didn't pay much attention to the burlesque performer in that one. this was at rarig at the U of M. then it was on to augsburg, where the 'day job' show was happening. i knew some of the people from this production company but not the performers. song selections in it were good, about working, which is appropriate. this included 'take this job and shove it' along with multiple versions of '16 tons'. i liked the lady in the cat shirt and red and green earrings deadpanning a swear word. lasting impression was the couple arguing at the dinner table, ending with a pie in the face. because the lady worked 2 jobs and the dude is a birthday clown. most realistic part of the show as couples can argue a lot about money. it started raining after this show was out, i went over to the bobby and steve's and got a burger. except the microwave oven wasn't there, so i drank the juice and ate the chips. then the burger was put inside the chip bag and i headed home on the light rail. after a brief stop at a comedy venue, where i asked about stage time. when i made it home there was a baseball game on fox, yanks at cardinals, midway through. cardinals won 1-0. during my walks i found 98 cents. late in the evening, after the baseball game was done, i went to a nearby liquor store and got a can of pabst. so now there are 4 beers waiting. 

before i got on the light rail i stopped at 2 nearby stores. first was the family dollar, where i got five items. discount is now at 50 percent, so much of the store is empty now, close to half of it. i got a box of twinkies, a box of cupcakes, a small bag of chips ahoy, small bag of nutter butter, and some sheet protectors. hard to say how much more i will get when there is not much food and drink left. no posting yet about the closing date but based on the amount of inventory left it won't be much longer. then i went to aldi for my weekly grocery order.

how am i awesome?

 near the end of the day the lady that sorts the mail had a late add to the outgoing mail. i hadn't sent the cart yet so no big deal on getting it into a red bag. i was told i was awesome, but not sure how. i was just doing my job. the red bags were full so it meant a third tub just for those and the inter-office envelopes. and the main shipment of check stock arrived so we are good for now. it was before midday, and a branch employee noticed a curl in the rug leading to the service entry door. in the evening i went to the hy-vee in eagan for groceries but it was a smaller order than typical, just 7 items. all about what my needs are. later on i went on a walk and found 38 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj and emily watch a horror movie together. it was followed by the one where amy dresses up as a catholic schoolgirl to make up for lying to sheldon. it was due to her being found with bernadette when sheldon and penny were looking for ideas for an 'anything can happen night'. this was a night off from fringe festival, but i will be back on for saturday. i noticed a rip in my office shirt near the elbow while walking tonight, so it was ripped up and will be thrown out. i knew it was old, and will look for a replacement soon. will check to see what i have for gift cards.

cookie flavored coffee

 i had a quick dinner tonight before two shifts as an usher at the minnesota fringe festival. i went to the bobby and steve's near the round theater. i got not only the godfather's pizza but also some dunkin donuts iced coffee, there were various flavors of girl scout cookies and chose the smores-flavored. i got pictures of a baseball-themed pinball machine, and a smashed penny machine. so i will have to make another visit so i can get this penny souvenir. i liked chatting with the other usher at the second shift, an older man who had the same name as my grandpa. he liked hearing i had seen the elvis presley movie. the house manager was an improv dude and it was exhausting to say the least talking to him. there was just three attendees at the first show, a one-woman show, but more than 40 at the second, a cowboy show. hard to say if i will see either one. now i have just one shift of ushering to do, on tuesday. i will see that i go vote in the primary election that night before my shift. there was somebody who was asking questions about the festival, and she left a few minutes later. i was told she was denied entry due to her vaccine status. upon arrival i was given a free ticket for reading the volunteer handbook, my fourth ticket to use. i will start seeing some shows this weekend. at work the team huddle was canceled, the boss was working remotely. i sent three items of mail to a nearby clinic. been there before but this is the most that i have sent over there. during my walks i found 64 cents. 

can we fax here?

 in the morning my boss showed up in the shop and asked if we could send a fax from the copier. i didn't know because i don't have to send them that often. hard to tell if it went through. it proved that it was a good idea to get all of the boxes of envelopes moved out of the 'back room' early, i had that done in the first hour. there was a dial-in meeting just before midday but it seemed to be about things that didn't affect my work such as a planned buyout of another bank. i was mostly paying attention but still printing checks during that time. in the evening i went on a walk and found 1 dollar 2 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj and dermatologist emily had date number one. sheldon couldn't decide about electronics, then food. it was followed by the one where sheldon and leonard make a bad deal with kripke for the wedding venue. when i was on twitter tonight i created an account for twitch, invited by a fellow comic. as expected i needed some patience to get it done, especially when i am tired after work. for the evening meal i drank the can of labatt so now there are 3 beers waiting.

it really is envelopes

 i wasn't thrilled with finding out there was a delivery near the end of the workday. when i saw the big truck i figured it was check stock, although the branch manager said it was envelopes. but when the courier brought over the wooden pallet i found out it really was envelopes. so i did the heavy lifting of putting them on the cart and wheeling it into the shop as i wanted it done and over with. i had other things to do. all 43 boxes were left in the 'back room' and i will move them later into the main part of the shop. it wasn't the only delivery of the day. the 14 boxes of check stock arrived before midday, the back-order. those were dumped at the branch. also at the end of the day i got an I.M. from my 'work spouse' announcing getting a job outside of the bank. bummed, but we didn't communicate that much in the past 2 years since i started at the bank. we are still connected on linked-in and i have the cell phone as well. in the evening i went on a walk and found 37 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon confronted his mom once reaching texas. and stuart is the only one of the friends who shows up 20 years later. it was followed by the one where howard and bernadette have baby number two. i also heard from cul-de-sac by text, shared a few laughs, and spoke of our travels.

copy paper taken out

 the main check printer is being used again as of this morning. good thing i started off with just the smaller files to print as i saw the first two checks were on copy paper. so i looked at all of the trays and took out what wasn't check stock. guess it was left over from the testing on friday. later on in the day i ran larger files through it, but i am still using the smaller printer quite a bit. the other notable thing was at the end of the day, and seeing how the drop box for UPS was jammed. so i didn't put anything in it. i tried to un-jam it but it was too hard to try to get the box out that was jamming it, didn't want to injure myself. so i sent the overnight envelopes to a UPS store near my home and got a drop-off receipt for them. i got just one envelope out and noticed it listed the branch manager as the sender. so it was included with the 15 of mine that were dropped off. i got some cheese, and bar soap, at the nearby target. i can check in the morning to see if the driver was able to un-jam it. i got caught up on a few things over the weekend after work, doing the dishes and taking out the trash. had to move it back a day because i was busy this weekend and i was too tired. i called dad in the evening and spoke of seeing the movie 'elvis', he has already seen it twice. later on i went on a walk and found 31 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when raj didn't have boundaries, showing up when amy talked with emily the dermatologist. howard and sheldon held hands on a flight. it was followed by the one where leonard tries to write a book, and sheldon finds out he likes the new professor proton show with wil wheaton, and amy appears on the show. howard does as well.