cars movie

there were some errands to run as usual, and the first stop of the day was the post office. three orders were picked up, and one of them was a DVD, the first 'cars' movie. have to give credit to a meetup friend, the retired postal worker, for me ordering that one. it was due to talk of classic cars during our in-person visit a week ago. pretty good movie all around, not just the voice cast but also the story. Paul Newman as the Hudson Hornet giving sage advice was what made it for me. good soundtrack for the movie as well, it answered one question for me. i have heard a cover of Tom Cochrane's 'life is a highway' and i think what i had been hearing every so often on my car radio was from this movie. but i am aware of how movie songs can sell well due to the exposure that not all songs get. also, some songs by brad paisley. not the first time where the first movie i see in a franchise wasn't the original, as we all know i had bought a DVD copy of 'cars 2' months ago. i think i had done that with 'terminator' as well. i put in the movie after the baseball game on Fox was done, mariners beat the twins in extra innings. after the post office, i went to drop off recycle near the capitol. then it was to the copy store, where i printed five event tickets. my next stop was going to be a movie theater, but i told myself i should watch this disc first. the movie i wanted to see at theaters had just been released, so my plans to see it can be moved back a week as i didn't have much booked just yet for next weekend. it will probably still be there. then i went to Eagan and had lunch at the popeye's chicken. when i got home i laid down for a little while, then went to get groceries at Aldi just before the baseball game began. during my walks i found 4 cents. 

before and after groceries

 in the evening i stopped at the same speedway gas station before and after getting groceries at the Hy-Vee in Eagan. first it was for gas, then it was going inside for the paper. i got some strawberry milk, string cheese, and peanut butter crackers as well. i still want the paper once a week even if i can't find it at the grocery store. the cashier asked what my weekend plans were, not the first time i had been asked. i said i would be attending a play, as that was the only thing i had booked at the time. i watched some of the united football league game on Fox after i got home, St. Louis at Washington. i laid down early in the fourth quarter, found out St. Louis went on to win. next weekend the playoffs begin, but it looks like the attendance for this league still isn't good for most teams. at work the backlog went down quite a bit, but it meant sending out four mail tubs at the end of the day instead of just three. now the backlog is down to just under a thousand, so it was more than cut in half. i submitted the supply order for the month, but late in the day instead of my customary early in the day. in the morning i got a 'recognized' email from one of the attendees of the speed networking event from the previous day, sure did surprise me. i tried to get the overnight envelopes into the box but i couldn't get the door open. when i was leaving for the day i saw the courier and said what the problem was, as expected it was a box rammed in there. i gave him all of the envelopes as there was a clear plastic mail tub available. total for the day was just over thirty envelopes. during my walks i found 1 dollar 53 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon and Leonard went to Skywalker ranch, while the friends back home played ping-pong. it was followed by the one where Sheldon and raj tried to share an office and it ended with an explosion, while Howard and Bernadette resume their relationship. 

speed networking

 in the afternoon at work i went to a speed networking event on the main floor. as i recall, 'picture day' was also there. i knew i had to leave at the end of the time allotment, which was one hour. but it llooked like it continued even after that. i was not alone on leaving at that time, though. it did feel a little like the speed dating i had done before. i found out there is someone who prints checks like i do, at an office in another town. surprised that anyone from out of town was at this networking event. i said i wanted to meet more people as i am still kind of isolated in this office even after the move less than a year ago. it left me a little behind on my work but i had signed up for this event weeks ago and figured i could stay a little later to get caught up on the overnight labels. at the end of the day there was still a backlog on the Fargo checks. more than two thousand were left over as it was a high-volume day. the inserter machine kept throwing an error as well, and close to lunchtime i said i needed to switch over to over duties. still hard to follow when this error doesn't happen in the afternoon. all that a tech said is that it is 'hot product', even though it still had been sitting for a little while after printing. vacation replacement arrived late in the day, and i handed off a returned check from months ago that had arrived in a 'blue company envelope'. i drank the can of bell two-heart with the evening meal and got a bottle of heineken from the nearby liquor store so there still are four beers waiting. during my walks i found 76 cents. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when sheldon and amy ended the relationship and then sheldon got cats. his mom was called in and he resumes dating amy. 

related or not?

 after worked i checked my Hotmail account as usual and there was a message from the ancestry site. it said we are related through her mother, then said not sure how we are related. an email and a phone number were given so we can exchange information. i responded to the message saying i recognized the phone number as an Iowa area code, but i had never heard of her mother's name. i looked through her pictures, and there were many of them. one of them said Winterset, except i have never lived in Winterset and know of no relatives who have either. while on the site i got a look at all of the clues that had piled up after creating a family tree. i wrote down some of them, i think they were from a cousin's tree. i still would like to find more about relatives who were immigrants. it was the first day back at work after four days off. i noticed a few things on arrival, such as the trash and recycle bins were in the hall and now have liners in them. and as expected, already had to say 'it was a day off for me' to someone. it was about a check that had been overnighted but should have been sent regular mail to the payee, it was from the bank's foundation. also had to let an internal customer know about an overnight request, how the fargo checks are being sent to me on a one-day delay. during my walks i found 25 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon and amy get a turtle, and we see sheldon's video about living on mars. it was followed by the one where penny calls sheldon, 'shel-bot' due to the virtual presence device. 

building condemned

 i had a day off for a dental appointment, and it was in the morning. after it i walked around in the skyway system much like when i worked in that area and saw a building had been condemned back in April. i had eaten at in their food court when working in downtown St. Paul, it is called the alliance bank building. i knew full well that more than half of the storefronts in the food court were vacant/empty as of my most recent appointment in November. now it is a question of what is next for the site, does it mean demolition? don't know. i got plenty of things done after the appointment. there was going to Eagan, first thing was ordering a ticket for the car show at the state fairgrounds next month. i like getting advance tickets and it meant going to the Napa auto parts store. then it was on to the credit union where i picked up the gift card i had won in a drawing. it was midday by then so the next stop was Mall of America as i wanted to have lunch at the A and W. actually there are two of those at the mall, but as usual i go to the one in the food court on the north end. i also found a store with some Charlie Brown items and bought two items, bamboo chopsticks and a magnet. and i got a scoop of ice cream at a place where i can get airline miles. then i went home and rested a little. next stop was the dealer to do an oil change on my car. i was home again in time to watch 'jeopardy'. i knew the final jeopardy answer, it was Dred Scott. during my walks i found 25 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when some of the friends did an escape room, while Penny and Sheldon did the 'fall in love' experiment. it was followed by the one where Sheldon and Amy went on a date and Penny was the chaperone.  

good, bad, brainy

 in the afternoon i went on a long walk around the neighborhood, first time in a while. i saw a little free library along the way and claimed a book from it. this was a scholastic book, likely meant for kids, but when i saw it as a history book i knew it was worth having. the main title was 'superstars of history' and after this it said, 'the good, the bad, and the brainy'. i had heard of many of these historical figures that are profiled in the book, but not all. when Franklin Roosevelt was profiled, i had to look up the mention of an assassination attempt, where it said the mayor of Chicago was killed. not mentioned by name in the book, but my online search yielded that this was Cermak. i knew that Cermak is the name of a road in the suburbs of Chicago, and in the city as well, during my time living there. i made it back from the walk in time to watch 'jeopardy', and i knew the final jeopardy answer, it was Yellowstone park, about UNESCO sites. in the morning i got some event tickets ordered. this included two St. Paul Saints baseball games in June, as well as a riverboat cruise in that same month. after the tickets were ordered, i saw a survey in my email from the team about the game i had just attended the day before. when i completed it there was another email, an offer on discounted tickets for select games for the rest of the season. except it was just for Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday, and i don't go on weeknights that much. there was another meetup event to attend, at a micro-brewery in the evening, wandering leaf. i chatted with a couple from Sweden, after seeing the 'cool dude' from another event last fall. i liked talking music with him, both then and at this event. i was a little late in getting to a mic to perform at due to this event as i was enjoying it enough. i did stories about my weekend activities, the bank, and an annoying facebook posting. during my walks i found 1 dollar 22 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when howard's mom died. it was followed by when we meet amy, as sheldon is blackmailed by a hidden dirty sock. 

fire and rain, james taylor

 this was a day of more than one activity, and music was a part of it. when i was leaving the St. Paul Saints baseball stadium after the fireworks show had ended, i heard the song 'fire and rain' by James Taylor. i said this was a good choice as a 'walking out song'. when i got home i looked it up, and found out one of the inspirations for the song was the suicide of the performer's friend. but i am aware of how performers and artists can create something beautiful when inspired by something awful. other inspirations mentioned were Taylor's drug addictions and dealing with fame. two other songs of note for the day were heard at the Saints stadium as well. there was 'titanium' by David Guetta and Sia, during the game. and there was 'rock in the USA' by John Mellencamp, during the fireworks. i am used to hearing a medley of songs that mention the USA or America during the fireworks shows for Memorial Day or the 4th of July. the game had just started when i arrived at the stadium, i walked around for much of it but before the 7th inning stretch i sat down in the general admission section. the Saints lost to Norfolk, 10-4, my third game attended this season. the Saints briefly took the lead, 4-1, on a grand slam. i am used to seeing the long ball fairly often in these Triple-A games as the players have to be good to make it this far. State Farm Insurance had a tent, much like last September, but i already had a bobblehead with my photo on it so i didn't need another one. i ate two hot dogs at the stadium, one was during the game. the other was from a food truck after the game had ended, waiting for the fireworks to begin. it was from 'dine-1-1', a converted ambulance, i had ordered food from them before. around midday i went to a meetup picnic in a park, the first of six for the summer season. i am probably not attending all six though, more likely just three. i had a hot dog there as well, so my total for the day was three. there were some that i enjoyed chatting with there, but some that i found to be annoying. memorable was a man who had the same name as a college in Iowa. i didn't stay long after i was done eating, played a little ladder golf and that was it. i wanted to rest a little before i went to the stadium. during my walks i found 60 cents. 

tronk, a journey home

 i went to a play in northeast Minneapolis in the afternoon, it was called 'Tronk, a journey home'. this was in the former grain belt complex, same building where i have the fringe festival training. the play was one floor above it. saw the invite on Facebook, sent by the meetup friend, the retired postal worker. this friend made it but arrived after the show began, but i figured he'd still be there when named before the show as a benefactor. the trunk, a big part of the story, was made possible by his donation. at first it was hard to understand the premise, but then i said it reminded me of the Marx brothers and the three stooges. most of the dialogue was gibberish, and before the show began i said i recognized one of the props as a clown horn. i printed a page in advance and wrote the driving directions on it. the show was described here as three bumbling adventurers are on a journey to find a new home, but the magical trunk they use to travel breaks down. after the show i got a look at my friend's car, it had a collector plate on it, a 1955 Dodge. also heard a story about buying another classic car, a Hudson. i spoke of two meetup events i am booked to attend this weekend, hopefully i will see him at one of them. i didn't go straight home after the show. i went to Roseville and had a dairy queen blizzard at the mall, then looked for a trench coat at some stores there and near it. nothing bought yet though. i didn't do much once i got home. i had the evening meal, some spaghetti, and went to get groceries at the Aldi. i watched the baseball game on fox, guardians beat the tigers. i got some things done in the morning as well. i went to the post office, two orders picked up. then i went to the French alliance and saw an art show in the gallery. no kidding on how it was called 'petits souvenirs', little memories in french. these artworks were small, thirty-two of them. i only got pictures of two of them, of the eiffel tower and arc de triomphe. then i went to have a sandwich at jersey mike's. durign my walks i found 1 dollar 28 cents. 

wolves in 5 shirt?

 i went to get groceries at the Hy-Vee in Eagan tonight and saw some t-wolves basketball shirts for sale near the front door. these said, 'wolves in five'. didn't buy one. also saw a sign next to it saying the supermarket chain is a sponsor of the team. no surprise how it is Memorial Day weekend that some patriotic balloons were on display. except one of them said '4th of July'. i got my typical needs there, including a box of twinkies for the meetup picnic i am doing this weekend. at work i stayed late as expected, wanting to see that things were caught up before my four days off, including one for an appointment. it meant some things were put in the shred bin and a list of recipients of tracking numbers for some overnighted checks was put on the wall. i was disgusted with the 'Eva app'. i spent an hour on it during my first attempt at getting a toner cartridge ordered for the small printer, to no avail. i was told to get the business line to order it, and they couldn't. i tried again and the ticket was opened right away and looks like the order has been placed. except the order still might be going to the former location. in spite of it all, i am thankful ti didn't leave me that far behind on doing the overnight labels as there was twenty of those for the day. during my walks i found 75 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when we hear embarrassing stories about all three ladies, including the story Amy wrote that was inspired by 'little house on the prairie'. it was followed by the one where we hear the story why the elevator is broken. 

chase the can

 no, not 'kick the can'. i ended up chasing a can across the street at the end of the workday as i went to wait for the light rail. guess it was being pushed along by the wind. i caught up with it after i had crossed and it went into the trash bin. notable about the day was doing the survey about my role. i wanted to stay caught up with my normal duties and i got around to it at the end of the day. there wasn't much time left to complete it, end of the week was the deadline. i had plenty of numbers at my disposal from spreadsheets and such so i wanted to have some of those numbers present. there weren't many things i could select when looking at the duties represented. i mostly print checks so that one was there, along with 'researching exceptions'- i consider that to be the 'pull and shred' as well as check copy requests. i wrote as much as i was allowed to in the space provided about what i do. i even said that i know i do a lot for the bank and take pride in what i do. there was a spike in the overnight volume, just over fifty. somehow i got them all in the box by the given pick-up time though. i drank the can of goose island with the evening meal so now four beers are waiting. during my walks i found 1 cent. the 'big bang theory' rerun was when Sheldon had a houseguest, 'dr. slut-bunny'. 

puppy day

 and there was another event of note at work. it was puppy day. i wanted to stay caught up on work but i got to the venue for 'puppy day' about midway through the time allotment of ninety minutes. when i got there i said 'what are you doing here?' to a dude i recognized from the comedy circuit. found out the dude worked for the animal rescue organization that brought in the puppies. i held one of them and a lady said it was cute so i got a picture sent via text message. i was told the puppy had fallen asleep in my arms. the tricky thing was finding the right set of elevators. i went to the main floor and the first one i tried wasn't it. looks like those just went to the basement. i went to the skyway level and tried another set, and that got me where i wanted to go. first time in the south tower for me. the dude was wearing a Mets baseball hat and i said i recall us doing a Timberwolves game as part of a job fair many years ago. i called that 'my time in the wilderness' as i like working at the bank. i was there for about twenty minutes and i figured that was long enough as i had more work to do. the dude did get a pic of us on his camera phone and i am wondering if that will be posted on 'the book'. i also heard about a show he's doing this summer at a micro-brewery. but as we all know, just being in the crowd isn't good enough for me. i would want stage time if i go there. vacation replacement was in the shop near the end of the day. i said i hadn't done the big survey yet about my role but i knew we have two days left to complete it. i was told it didn't take long, just under thirty minutes. it means trying to set up a block of time to get it done, probably in the morning, even if it means delaying the check printing a little. looks like i now have plenty of things lined up for next week on a day off for an appointment. there is also picking up the gift card from the credit union, an oil change for the car, and lunch at the mall. during my walks i found 25 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the ladies went shopping while the dudes waited for them and ended up crying. amy got to do basket weaving as well. it was followed by the one where sheldon has dinner with the dudes, but also with penny, after being chased by a dog. 

picture day

 at work there were plenty of postings around the building, including the elevators, about picture day. i got it done after a 'team huddle' as i figured it was the best time to do so before returning to the shop. it didn't take long, just had to go to the main floor and i go there to transfer elevators anyway. i am told i will be sent a link to add the photo to my profile in the employee directory, but not sure when. even though i have a photo on my ID badge there isn't one currently in the directory. the bank is paying for the pictures, which made it easier to do. i did another re-boot on the inserter machine as i was seeing issues about a blank screen. this time i looked at the cord and shoved it in a little farther, so hopefully that takes care of things for a while. wondering if vibrating of the machine was causing it. overnight volume was a little higher, over thirty, but i was able to get most of the labels created before the afternoon run of the inserter machine. it is nice to get out close to the normal leave time, although i knew i had to get to the gas station first so i knew my priorities. it meant not seeing a full 'young Sheldon' rerun. in the morning i saw how people prepare differently for the weather as it is still rainy. some had umbrellas and trench coats, but i also saw one dude with no coat on at all. my rain jacket with a hood, given by a former employer, works fine except it is kind of short, barely going below the waist. i did some searching online and it looks like there are some affordable trench coats at various stores, i would want one that at least goes to the knee. i have bought coats at resale shops, so it doesn't have to be bought new. during my walks i found 3 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon ended 'fun with flags', then brought it back, opening a champagne bottle. it was followed by the one where Wil Wheaton breaks up Leonard and penny to win a bowling match. 

gift card, phone tag

 i was checking my phone during lunch and found out i was a prize winner from the credit union event last week. it is a gift card. voicemail said it could be mailed to me or i can pick it up from a branch, i prefer the latter. i left a voicemail about an hour after hearing it, when i had a little downtime at work, so i guess we are playing phone tag about it. at work i liked how the overnight volume stayed fairly low, just under thirty. it was aided by having none in the second i-pay file. one odd thing was the screen on the inserter machine going dark in the morning, but it was still running so i left it alone until all of the checks were run through. then i switched off the power source in the back and turned it back on, hopefully the reboot works for a while. i didn't have another problem with it for the rest of the day. vacation replacement heard about it and wondered if it was caused by a loose cord somewhere. i continued the search for two checks that was a carryover from late Friday, neither one was found. based on the given check numbers, i didn't expect to find them either, even with payee names given. then my boss responded and said those weren't going to be there, so I'm not sure why i had been added to the thread. in the evening i went to perform. i spoke of going to doors open, winning a gift card, a bank story, and a show i attended. i even started off with a reference to a folk singer who went before me, saying it almost sounded like he'd be playing a song by america, 'lonely people'. it was a rainy night. during my walks i found 53 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when leonard got surgery to end his snoring, and sheldon said 'take me to leonard'. it was followed by the one where sheldon got an award and gave a speech while drunk. 

streetcar museum, lakewood cemetery

 i made it to two more venues on day two of the doors open event. in the morning it was the streetcar museum. riding the streetcar was just $3 and when i stepped off at the end of the ride i said 'worth it!' i bought two postcards as well, being careful on what to get as i knew i had already bought some on a visit to another railroad museum. i liked seeing the vintage ads inside the car, we were told those were actually replicas. there were ads for Hamm's beer as well as grain belt that i got pictures of. we also got a look at the machine shop, and the library. when this was done i went home to have lunch, a pot pie and some TGI Friday's potato skins. i rested a little as well, then ventured out again for the fourth and final venue on my list. this was the Lakewood cemetery. i went to the welcome center first and i liked having some cookies and water. i got a flyer at the front desk, later noticing it was from last year but not a big deal. then i took a walk and during it i first found where politician Hubert Humphrey is buried. then i walked some more and found the chapel, where the doors open volunteers- and the people counter-were. the chapel is on the national register of historic places. then i saw the ribbon tree near it, as well as two mausoleums. there were some stained-glass windows with bible verses on them in one of these. then i drove to uptown and got some ice cream at the McDonald's and walked past the lagoon movie theater. it was hard to find showtimes for this theater online, some mention of renovation, but when i walked past there were some people inside and movie posters up and times given. although there was nothing of interest to me showing at this time. then i went home and had the evening meal, a pizza. 'The Simpsons' was about Bart and Lisa watching the cartoon 'itchy and scratchy' as well as homer being rescued from Florida. during my walks i found 63 cents. 

house of balls, doors open

 this is 'doors open' weekend in Minneapolis. i had an ambitious plan of seeing four venues in two days. i started off with seeing the 'house of balls', next to a light rail stop, this morning. this is an art studio that specializes in turning junk into art. a standout was framed art saying, 'welcome to America' and it was red, white and blue, depicting a flag, made out of shell casings. i also recognized one artwork that was made out of a wringer washer, probably a Maytag. it was round instead of boxy though. once this was done it was midday, and i made my way to Eagan where i ate at Cane's chicken as it was lunchtime. then on to a Baskin Robbins, which shares the building with a Dunkin Donuts. i had some ice cream there, two scoops, first time at this place in a while. i saw it a lot when going to get groceries at the nearby Hy-Vee, first time inside this location. i spoke of going to one in my hometown when i was young. then i made my way back to do more touring. it was a maintenance facility for the public works bureau. it was cool to see all kinds of vehicles on display. one was for the swat team and another for the bomb squad, as well as a fire engine. when i got home i wasn't there for all that long. i had the evening meal, then i got groceries at the Aldi, and then off to see a play at the history theater in downtown St. Paul. it was called 'whoa nellie', it was supposed to be a biography of a lady con artist. it left a lot to be desired, for one thing only revealing she was a child actress at the end. there were microphone problems as well, and i didn't care for the 'presentism' analysis of life in the 19th century. people lived differently back then, we already knew that. show started more than ten minutes late, and there were announcements that included a plea to 'support the arts because it is under attack'. um, you're preaching to the choir. i did see the list of shows for next season and the one about the winter carnival interests me. during my walks i found 36 cents. 

so long, woody guthrie

 when i logged onto YouTube tonight, i saw a Woody Guthrie song, 'so long' (it's been good to know you). not sure why it was there, aside from choosing some Bob Dylan songs recently after seeing the Bob Dylan biopic. this did answer one long-dormant question though. i recall when a Des Moines newspaper published its final edition and this is what was on the headline. i guess we choose things all the time that have resonance, and a popular movie, tv show, or song title will fit this description. another title was 'dusty old dust', i know this was in reference to the 'dust bowl' during the great depression. there is also mention of the library of congress recordings. i know one of his songs, 'this land is your land', was on the soundtrack to a favorite movie of mine, 'up in the air', albeit performed by someone else. at work i did some exploring in the skyway at the end of my lunchtime. i walked down a part of the skyway i don't see much, saw a cookie place but there was no coffee, so i kept walking. i turned to a building i hadn't seen before and stopped at a convenience store. i found a bottle of Dunkin donuts coffee and one of those Smucker's un-crustable peanut butter sandwiches. in the morning there was an instant message sent before i had arrived for the day. it was about scanning and forwarding a reject fax from another floor. i said i like to get the PDF check files printed before i leave the shop. also, how i had been handling it on Fridays for a month now, and no one needs to tell me to send it unless it isn't in the shared box by 9am. i got it done before 9am. in the evening i went to do grocery shopping at the Hy-Vee in Eagan. i saw someone who looked a lot like an old friend from the comedy circuit, the big dog, but i knew it wasn't him. this dude had the 'woodman' (not tin man) look with facial hair and a winter hat. then i liked how i was recognized by the cashier, who had helped me before, and was asked what i was doing for the weekend. when i got home i watched some of the united football league game on fox, Memphis at San Antonio. it was tied at 20 at the end of regulation, i decided to watch the news on another channel, found out Memphis won. still not much of a crowd though. during my walks i found 60 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the friends had a prom, and it had the same amount of drama as a real prom. it was followed by the one where the friends act out their version of 'lord of the rings' by fighting over a ring. 

go to the stairwell

 there was a tornado warning in the afternoon, and my boss was in the shop doing some meetings when this happened. i said 'does this mean we need to move?' when i heard the siren. we took the elevator to another floor where the rest of my colleagues are and went to the stairwell as there are no windows in there. i said i was taking my phone with me, and the phone did say the tornado warning wouldn't last long, about twenty minutes. i was moved to this building just under five months ago and i think it was the first time i had been in any of the stairwells as i am usually taking the elevators when i need to get somewhere. i said it was a good thing that i had plenty of the overnight labels done by then as the emergency didn't put me all that far behind on my work. i still was back to work in time to get the afternoon checks run through the machine and make the delivery of two mail tubs at the end of the day. not all overnighted checks went out same day as there was just over fifty, but well over half of them were in the box by the pick-up time. in the morning i did my walk to Walgreen and there was more this time in the refrigerated aisle. i got a bottle of Starbucks coffee and some cookies. i am thankful i saw a different cashier this time on the upper level as i likely would have avoided that grouch if he was there this time. i drank the can of Sapporo with the evening meal and got two cans from the nearby liquor store so now five beers are waiting. i bought a surly, and a Michelob. i also saw invites for six picnics through meetup. i was wondering if there was going to be one for Memorial Day but it finally was scheduled. probably not going to all six though, as i like my proximity. right now, i am only signed up for the one on memorial day but will likely sign up for others closer to when they are happening. no need to sign up too early as the others are over a month away, and the final one in the series is labor say. during my walks i found 1 dollar 77 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when billy bob thornton was a guest star, followed by when stan lee was a guest star. 

tax survey

 i do online surveys for the airline miles. tonight, i did one that was largely about taxes. i answered 'don't know' to many of them as i don't know much about taxes. i pay whatever i am told to pay and it is hard to answer what the tax rates should be for small businesses when i don't own one. i completed the survey and got the full allotment of points, so i can't complain too much about it. on many surveys i do not qualify and get booted early, getting only the minimum allowed as a 'thank you for your time'. i fell asleep when watching the news and when i woke up, '48 hours' was on. i was in the other room so i could only hear it but i knew it was about a Georgia cop who got life in prison for the murder of his wife. i probably should have gotten up a lot earlier in the program to turn it off but i was too comfortable in the laying down position. i got up to shut it off at the end of the program though. at work i was asked to print test checks during the first hour of the day, and it led to a meeting about it to be canceled which didn't bother me any. the fewer meetings, the better. still a day behind on the Fargo checks being sent to us, so a backlog of just over a thousand will be run through the next morning as it was a high-volume day. i sent out three mail tubs so i sent out as much as i could while balancing things such as the time needed to do the overnight labels. it was nice to get all of the overnights in the box a little early, as it meant i could leave close to my scheduled leave time for the day. during my walks i found 83 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when sheldon and raj tried a mining simulation and it didn't last long. it was followed by the one where leonard goes to switzerland on valentines day but takes raj as penny is ill.  

urban growler brewery

after work i went to an event at urban growler brewery in St. Paul, first time there. not that easy to find as it was in the warehouse district and the MapQuest directions weren't good enough. when i arrived i cared a lot about getting food as there was some available. i liked the meatballs as well as the fries and tater tots. i had a small ham sandwich as well. i liked how the event's sponsor, the credit union that i am a member of, gave me a drink ticket. i had a passport to complete and it went into a box for drawings. one of the prizes is St. Paul Saints baseball tickets. i picked up a chip clip as well as a beer cozy. both of these items has the credit union's logo on it. i spoke of attending events at various micro breweries due to a meetup group i am in, not sure why i hadn't been there before. when i see the event coordinator again i will see if this one is on the radar. i know there may not be enough parking but the 'barrel room' we were in is likely big enough for our crowd. i didn't do much after the event. at work i was asked to log into the test check printing system by an I.T. rep to see if a password worked that i was given, and it did. guess i will be using it the next day during a meeting. most of the overnight envelopes were in the box before pick-up time, a few more were sent there when i left for the day. i got a bounce-back on a check copy request, was told it was an encoding error that led to a future date being on the check. i did a search by payee name and let the requestor know that no other checks had been issued, so far just the two that were requested earlier. during my walks i found 51 cents.

not my pepsi bottle

 when i went to perform in the evening, i saw a nearly full bottle of Pepsi on the bar and when i ordered my drink i said 'it wasn't my Pepsi'. as usual i got a beer. i did jokes about a posting on a Facebook singles site, my visit to a Walgreen, the bank's breakroom, a three-movie weekend, and a meetup event. i also gave my take on a line in a story from an earlier performer, reminding me of family. i was tired and left for home shortly before the show ended. at work i was surprised to see vacation replacement, as an email said my colleague would be working from home for the day. but then, upon arrival, i am told that his family is going to Wisconsin to see 'house on the rock' and working from home would be moved back a day. also, something about the family using his SUV, I've heard about that happening before. some Fargo check files arrived, but only one day's worth so still a day behind. i knew this because of the dates on the checks. in the afternoon i saw an email from the team lead in customer service about a check, and it was in the second i-pay file for the day. looked like this colleague was already out for the day by then so i said i would go to that floor to deliver it the next morning. during my walks i found 1 dollar, all in quarters. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the friends talked about investing in Stuart's comic bookstore, after visiting another store. it was followed by the one where we hear 'intruder alert' after an anti-burglar device is activated on Sheldon and Sheldon then tries to move to Montana. 

king of kings movie

 it was a two-movie day and i got started kind of early, went to see 'king of kings' in Lakeville. i am not that religious but i noticed who was in the voice cast and said it is worth seeing. this included Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, and Pierce Brosnan. it was more than just a story about Christ as it was also about the storyteller, author Charles Dickens. the author was telling the story to his young son. i wiped away a tear during the scene depicting 'let he who is without sin cast the first stone'. why, i don't know. i think this movie was produced or distributed by the same company as the one i saw on super bowl Sunday, about the teenager that was adopted by his teacher. i say this because both asked for donations in the closing credits 'in order to increase the reach of the movie'. after it was done i found a quick lunch at the speedway gas station nearby. then i drove to the cracker barrel store, four miles north on I-35. i bought a patriotic shirt to replace the one that I've had for over a decade. this one has one big flag on it instead of plenty of small ones and has text from the declaration of independence as well. then i drove the rest of the way home. in the evening i went to the Trylon and saw 'hardcore', starring George c. Scott. it was part of the Peter Boyle series. shortly after it had finished i said it was 'sobering, to say the least'. because it was about a private eye, played by Boyle, hired to find a missing girl, and she was discovered in a porn film. then her religious dad tries to find her, and it shows quite a bit of the sex industry along the way. there was a promo before the feature presentation about another series coming up, 'bleak week', in June. i will have to see if there are any in that series that interest me. during my walks i found 51 cents. 

a new leaf movie

 in the evening i went to the Trylon cinema and saw 'a new leaf'. no surprise how i liked the leading man, Walter Matthau, more than the leading lady, Elaine May. the lady was clumsy, and slapstick doesn't do anything for me. i did recognize Doris Roberts in it, as one of the lady's staff. i noticed Conrad Bain, Mr. Drummond from 'different strokes', in the wedding scene but that actor was un-credited as it was a non-speaking part. the premise wasn't the best one, but i still grew to like the story. a playboy who has no inheritance left and must marry to avoid selling all he owns to pay debts, at the outset doesn't sound appealing. but i had seen other movies starring Matthau and figured it was still worth seeing. and i get it where the title is derived from, as the leading man 'turned over a new leaf' by taking care of his wife. even though the plans at first were to kill her for her money. because he takes over her finances and fired her dishonest staff. along with her being a botanist and discovering a new fern. this was the proverbial 'double entendre'. i didn't do much after the movie, stopping at a Walgreen on the way home. i noticed a Sport clips i have had haircuts from has closed, parked near it. best indicator from a distance was seeing the letters gone from the outside. but i knew it was closed for a while after the pandemic began. i did plenty before the movie, though. in the morning i went to the post office and picked up two orders. one of them was a little golden book about basketball player Caitlin Clark. then it was on to downtown St. Paul and a meetup event at union depot, in a place that doubles as a coffee shop and a bike shop. i not only got coffee, but also a pastry and three postcards. first coffee event in this group mainly known for going to micro-breweries. after sitting down to eat the pastry, i liked chatting with an archaeologist, who i think had just moved here. i pointed out where the bathroom was near the end of the event. then i went down to track level and found the snoopy statue. i had only paid for parking for an hour and a half so i knew it was time to get back to my car and leave. it was past midday, so it was also time to get lunch, and i went to get a sandwich at Jersey Mike's. after it i watched some of a united football league game, Michigan stunned Arlington, scoring the tying touchdown after calling timeout with one second left, then a one-point conversion. then eventually i was off to Aldi for groceries. during my walks i found 4 dollars 77 cents, and three dollars worth of those quarters paid for the cup of popcorn i had at the movie in the evening. 

billboard greeting card

 in the morning i did a walk over to the Walgreen in the skyway and got a bottle of tea and some cookies. i liked seeing a greeting card as well and bought it, too. it depicts a billboard saying, 'you are human, loveable, strong, and enough'. it says the creator spreads a message of hope on billboards in Kansas City and beyond. makes sense when it is a hallmark card, which is based in Kansas City. i let the cashier know i would prefer getting bottles of coffee but didn't see any, don't know why the dude was acting disgusted with me. i moved up this walk as there was a dial-in meeting scheduled about test check printing, guess more will be happening next week. the Fargo check files did not arrive at all, and it didn't hear anything from the business line when asking about it. the PDF checks now have some email verbiage on them, as of the midday i-pay file. i guess it is a way of encouraging payees to switch to something besides checks. in the evening i went to get groceries at Hy-Vee in Eagan. first stop was the liquor store next to it, and i picked up a can of Paulaner so now there are four beers waiting. i listened to some of the Saints baseball game on the radio, but they were way behind, against buffalo. when i got home i watched some of the united football league game on fox, D.C. was playing at San Antonio. i fell asleep during the fourth quarter but later found out D.C. won. during my walks i found 52 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Howard tried to throw out a first pitch at an Angels baseball game. it was followed by the one where Sheldon gets incredible hulk hands when agreeing to go on a double date with raj. i also found out 'night court', a show i had been watching, has been canceled. guess the ratings just weren't there. i also looked at the venues for the upcoming 'doors open' event, just over a week away, and found four venues of interest to me. two others i can see outside of the event, and there were two that i had to eliminate as tickets were required for the tours and were already sold out. 

comp tickets, short notice

 this week i was sent comp tickets to an event at the u. of Minnesota, a piper performance. except it was on short notice, sent the morning of the event, so i didn't attend as i didn't see them in time. then a day later, i got a survey about the event i didn't attend. when i first saw the tickets, i tried replying saying i preferred hearing about it a week in advance as it would be easier to plan. there is a number to call on the survey's email, so i guess i have another option on seeing that my message gets through to the right people. what i had said was that it must have been when i won a drawing at the screening of a Buster Keaton movie in February. i was able to meet the organist and see the organ close-up and was happy with that. i didn't do all that much in the evening after getting home from work. i did the after-work routine, then much like the previous day i tried to listen to the St. Paul Saints baseball game on the radio, but this time i fell asleep. the opponent this week is Buffalo. i drank the can of two-hearted IPA with the evening meal so now three beers are waiting. there are two fish heads on the can. at work there was a high volume again with one of the Fargo files so a little over a thousand checks are left over and will be run through the next morning. there was a little over twenty overnights for the day, and i liked getting all of them in the box just before the pick-up time. there was no second i-pay, which aided in fewer overnight labels to create. i also got a look at the movies on fandango and i could make it a three-movie weekend, which is not typical for me. but i am also a big believer in 'get while the getting is good' and i don't know if one of them will be at a nearby theater if i wait another week to see it. during my walks i found 51 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon tried to teach a class and only Howard signed up. Amy liked being popular as there was a feud between Bernadette and Penny as one helped the other get a job in pharmaceutical sales. it was followed by the one where Sheldon teaches physics to Penny as she wants to understand the work that Leonard does. 

hot dog at brewery

 this evening i went to a meetup event at a micro-brewery, bear-cave in Hopkins. it was my third event at this venue, first event in this group that i had just joined. most people seemed to be ordering pizza there, i ordered a hot dog as i prefer single servings. i did see one other attendee order a hot dog as well, near the end of my time at the event. i was there for a little over an hour and spoke with both of the event coordinators. upon arrival i first spoke with a man that recognized me from another group, i said i had left that group as i wasn't enjoying their events enough. i still like this venue as one can pour your own beer after getting a card from the front desk. we were outside on the patio, first time there. on my previous visits we were on the upper level, but a small poster i found said a harry potter movie was being shown there. since there was no cheese available for the hot dog i still wanted cheese and found some string cheese at a holiday gas station as i was on my way home. i also got an ice cream sandwich and a small can of pineapple juice. i drank some of the juice and the rest was dumped into the snoopy tumbler with a lid that i have when i got home. at work there was just over thirty overnights to do. i tried to get all of them into the box at the same time but it looks like i had just missed the pick-up time so i guess they will be delayed on going out. the check stock order arrived in the morning, during the time when vacation replacement was in the shop. 

nacho cheese dip

 just before midday i went to the convenience store on the main floor and got some nacho cheese dip as well as a bottle of tea. the cheese dip was enough to finish off the chipotle chips from the previous day. at the outset there was just one meeting scheduled for the day, a team huddle in the morning. not long after it a supply order arrived, most of the envelopes. purchase order was sent and i guess the check stock will be arriving soon enough. in the afternoon my boss said there would be another one, from a business line in st. louis. not the best time of day for me, so i decided to move up sending some of the checks through the inserter machine, nearly five hundred. when i asked my question about special handling i found out the volume likely won't be changing, and apparently the main change is splitting the file into three. a little over a thousand checks were left over from the Fargo file and will be run through the next morning. 'Night Court' had its season finale, with 'Howard' from 'big bang' as the main character's husband. it said, 'to be continued'. guess there was two episodes according to Wikipedia, missed the first one as i was watching the news on another channel. after 'night court' i switched to the twins-orioles game. twins were way ahead and i laid down and fell asleep. during my walks i found 2 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when Sheldon gets on a train, a season finale, while the comic bookstore is destroyed by fire. it was followed by the one where penny is injured in the shower and Sheldon drives her to the hospital. 

chipotle chips and guac

 in the afternoon i went to the skyway level and claimed a bag of chipotle chips and some guacamole as it was part of the building's Cinco de Mayo celebration. it was one of those events where one must register for it, and i did so shortly after it was announced last week. i went back to the shop shortly after the bag was picked up as i still had plenty to do, especially more overnight labels to create. there was an all-company dial-in meeting in the morning, the new CEO moderated it. some of the questions submitted sound familiar from being in the corporate world for a while. one of them was about layoffs, well i am familiar with how most people care a lot about job security. mention of risk management was a good one as there were warnings given about companies who didn't do this. vacation replacement was in the shop for the day, and three checks that i scanned to a shared box last week were claimed. i had time for the dial-in meeting as the Fargo check files were late, those arrived at midday. those were a low enough volume that i still had the time to complete them by my lunchtime. it was nice getting caught up on things when i got home, it helped that i delayed checking email for a little while. the remaining laundry that was hung up to dry was put away, and i did the dishes and recycle as well. during my walks i found 4 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when penny and leonard get engaged after penny gets fired from a movie. it was when penny called leonard a 'stupid pop tart'. it was followed by the one where leonard and penny had a fight about a houseguest and sheldon gets a comic book and a robot. 

bonjour tristesse movie

 just before midday i went to see the movie 'bonjour tristesse' at the mall in Eden Prairie. this was based on a French novel, meaning 'hello sadness'. there is another film adaptation from 1958, apparently. this movie was actually mostly in English. a little of it was in French with subtitles but not a lot. one drawing card for me was having Chloe Sevigny in it, who was in 'last days of disco', a movie i saw in suburban Chicago shortly after moving there from Iowa. it is about a family spending the summer at a seaside home, far from Paris. Chloe plays one of the love interests of the main character's dad. the main character is Cecile, who is in love with Cyril. it wasn't the best movie i had seen, but not the worst either. i liked how i got the logistics figured out for the day. i woke up kind of early, for the weekend anyway. this helped with getting started early enough on the laundry that i had it done a little under an hour before the movie began. having advance tickets bought me some time as well. i just needed to enter the confirmation number at the kiosk and it printed. first time using the gift card given by Yemen native a few months ago, easier to use when ordering advance tickets online. after the movie i had some pizza and a Caesar salad at the nearby food court. when i was leaving the mall i heard a song i liked, so i stayed until it was done. it was concrete blonde's 'joey'. guess it met my standard for what i like in a song, as i often say how i like the passion in a song. i wasn't home for long after the movie, wanting to get to a bar to see a basketball game. the Indiana fever was playing the Brazil national team, in Iowa city, on ESPN. i arrived midway through the first quarter. the fever was way ahead at the half, and went on to win, 108-44. this was never much of a contest. i had two bottles of grain belt beer there and some cheese curds with marinara. when i left the bar i got a Lunch-able and a Bismarck donut at the nearby speedway gas station. after the game i went to perform at an open mic and did some bank stories as usual, along with a story about dad and funny words to him. i was tired when i got home again, i laid down and doing dishes will have to be moved back a day. during my walks i found 52 cents. 

secret mall apartment movie

 in the evening i went to see a movie, 'secret mall apartment', at St. Anthony main in Minneapolis. it had been on my radar for a few weeks, after spotting it on fandango. all a matter of if screenings would make it to the twin cities. i knew in advance how it ends, they get found out after living at the mall for four years. but i was still intrigued about it enough to go see it. this takes place in Providence, Rhode Island. i liked how it was about more than just the mall, though. there was plenty about the artist living there, too. guess he had done masking tape art at a children's hospital, at the Oklahoma City bombing memorial, and on New York streets related to 9/11. there was a decent crowd at this screening, i like seeing this. all too often, the crowds are small at the movies i attend. i ate before getting there, having a sandwich at the Bobby and Steve's as there were no little godfather's pizzas when i got there. i didn't do much after the movie, but it was no doubt an active day before it. there was going to the post office, two orders picked up. then i went to the French alliance and bought an anniversary shirt. there was no one staffing the boutique, just saw two kids playing with toys. i went to the front desk and that is who helped me ring it up. it replaced the France shirt I've had for decades, showing the tricolor flag, the words 'La Marseillaise' meaning the national anthem, and 'Marianne', who personifies France as a republic. then i went to Eagan and printed event tickets, four in all. two were baseball games, two were live theater or plays. then i had lunch at the nearby chick-fil-a, down the road a little. next stop was downtown St. Paul and a college baseball game at the Saints stadium. i arrived shortly after the game began, Hamline playing Augsburg. Hamline won, 10-2, in game one of a double-header. i left after the first game ended. i was tired so i decided that doing laundry can be moved back a day. i went to get groceries at Aldi before heading out to the movie. during my walks i found 1 dollar 85 cents. 

johnny horizon

 i had to look up johnny horizon after seeing a 'charlie brown and snoopy' cartoon in an online article that mentioned this character. i found an article from the american historical association, an organization that i happen to be a member of, and it spoke of an 'environmental test kit' made by parker brothers, the famous board-game makers. and mention was made of burl ives, who was in the christmas special 'rudolph' being a spokesman on an ad campaign. but what caught my eye, without a doubt, was one of the links in the article being about snoopy being signed on as well. the 'collect peanuts' site was the link, and i saw promotional materials and giveaways such as a 'pounce on pollution' bookmark and an 'environmental honor roll' poster. another article did say that fictional character johnny horizon, a mascot for the government's 'bureau of land management', looked a lot like the marlboro man. i hadn't heard of this kind of public service announcement before. the wikipedia article said the copyright protection was not renewed in 1982, so this explains why it faded into obscurity. i am familiar with smokey bear, as well as woodsy owl, though. in fact, i recently picked up a smokey bear postcard when i was at the science center to see a movie. the article was from 2023, and it was under the 'everything has a history' section in 'perspectives'. at work i was asked to find more foreign ACH-PDF statements, but from more than a week earlier. i went by the payees listed in the thread and i found some that i scanned. i was also told that techs would be arriving in the afternoon to work on the HVAC equipment, except no one did and i reported this back on the thread. the two check files handled in poland did not send anything, so fewer overnights to do. there were just fifteen overnights, until the second i-pay which had eleven more in it. in the morning, it was odd that someone rang the doorbell to the shop and asked about picking up a package. i got out into the hall and pointed out where the mailroom is. for the second straight day, i had a slice of pizza from the refrigerator in the breakroom. i had it a little earlier than my typical lunchtime as i knew i would have less competition for it then. in the evening i went to get groceries at the hy-vee in eagan, and i picked up three boxes of cereal. one of them had caitlin clark on the box, a hy-vee exclusive. i started off the visit by going to the nearby liquor store and got another can of bell IPA, so there are four beers waiting. when i got home from grocery shopping i watched the end of a UFL game. the st. louis battlehawks were leading, 9-0, in the third quarter and went on to beat arlington, 12-6. during my walks i found 1 dollar 68 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when the friends celebrated May 4, 'Star Wars Day', it was also when bob newhart was a guest star as professor proton had just passed. it was followed by the one where the friends fly kites, and leonard tries to watch football with penny's friends but decides to go back to kite flying at halftime. 

flyer for rapper found

 when i was taking the light rail home after work i saw flyers left on the seats, and i claimed one. it was about a local rapper. QR codes are given for his site on YouTube. i do like finding music on that platform, but this seems to be an odd way to advertise the music. at work the boss dropped in to the shop and asked about the ACH-PDF statements going to foreign lands. i said we don't have that many, and i was asked to find some. all were in the foreign mail pile by then, and the boss decided to send a copy by fax to who was handling trying to move them to the top. it is not a big deal to me to flip through once in sealed envelopes as it doesn't take long to find all of them. another notable thing about the day was the file carried over from the previous day was the only one from that business line, and a smaller one than typical as well. i got those overnights out of the way in the morning before more checks were ready to print. there were some delays, but i did make it to the monthly popcorn social at the skyway level. this time i saw someone i knew, it was a senior leader. it led to me sending an i.m. to the branch manager at the building i was assigned to until December. i said this is a standout for me in terms of how things are different now that i am assigned to a downtown office. i was also spotted by someone who recognized me from performing, it was the first time i had spoken about stand-up at work and i preferred that. i have been there just under five years and i know it works well to keep those two things separate. i drank the can of Budweiser with the evening meal so now there are three beers waiting. during my walks i found 75 cents. the 'big bang theory' reruns were when penny and Sheldon see a psychic. it was followed by the one where we meet Bernadette, who was fixed up with Howard.