josie and the pussycats movie

 in the morning i watched a DVD movie, a recent purchase from goodwill, 'josie and the pussycats'. this was one i had heard about recently as it was part of the 'bad company' series through the Trylon cinema. i lucked out that i found a copy so quickly after that. i still have the mock timecard from the series, where it is listed. plenty of satire and social commentary in it, which i liked. and it was campy as well. the funniest character had to be melody the drummer, who was cartoonishly dumb. but when this is based on archie comics, it makes sense to stay a little authentic to the source material. then after having lunch at home, i headed to the stadium for another Saints baseball game. this was a closer game, as the Saints won, 8-7, over the Iowa Cubs. there was a 9th inning rally, and the game ended on a swinging strikeout on a full count with the bases loaded. one doesn't see that scenario too often. after the game i walked around the downtown area a little and ended up at Candyland where i got a small box of popcorn. i also saw displays about upcoming shows at a nearby venue that i will want to research. i stayed downtown a little longer as i went to perform. it was nice to see the show runner, who had been absent from some of my recent appearances at this mic. i did stories about the bank, a furniture delivery, and attending two baseball games. 

furniture delivery

plans had to be changed a little, as i knew there would be a furniture delivery in the afternoon. in the morning i made it to the post office. as expected, hadn't ordered anything lately so no orders to pick up. i did pay for my box, the six-month fee, though. then i got pizza at a nearby convenience store. when i got home i watched a united football league game on TV, Dallas at DC. the game was nearly over when i was called that the delivery would be arriving soon. it was earlier than i was originally told, but i didn't mind. it was done fairly quickly, i signed for it, then i was on to the St. Paul Saints baseball game. i missed the first two innings but i like how i still got to see more than half of the game. i bought two small items inside the souvenir shop, a mascot magnet and some decals from their theme nights including Crooks Haven. the saints won big against the Iowa Cubs, 16-2, and fans got to see plenty of the long ball. during the game i heard a song but what i found when searching it at home likely wasn't the same one. the lyric i recalled was 'cry me a river'. the most hits when googling it was a Justin Timberlake song. i still liked what i heard, though. it resonated with me as i once said it to a match from internet dating. i made it to Aldi in the early evening and got groceries, then watched the baseball game on fox. it was dodgers-cardinals in st. louis, and the cardinals won a close one, 3-2. 

soup and oyster crackers

 i did my customary visit to Hy-Vee in Eagan and picked up another close-out item near the checkout lanes. it was a bag of soup and oyster crackers. why not try it when it was for just a dollar? i did see the employee i have chatted with before and spoke of families a little more. i have way fewer cousins. the team lead did a swap on workdays in the office due to furniture delivery the previous day. it meant i didn't have to go to that floor to pick up the reject fax, but i still went there to get some refund checks in a 'blue company envelope' moved. actually, there was two of them as the mailroom did deliver a second envelope, the first was left over from the previous day as vacation replacement didn't show up for it after i notified. i left the second one under a box of Avery address labels, i guess my colleague was at lunch at the time. the screen saver spoke of 'employee banking' but i said i was at a loss for what other services i could get from the bank when i already have my checking account and ATM card there. another check copy was found, per request by the boss, from the Cincinnati file. it was a sub-file that i last printed over a year ago. it was the tenth copy i had sent on, and it means just half of those Cincinnati files have ever had checks for me to print. when the tax specialist sent an instant message and said, 'out of office', and to hold any tax checks i get, i said 'copy that'. there were some in the afternoon. 

facility manager meeting

 in the early afternoon i joined a dial-in meeting, i was invited by the facility manager. the boss asked was unsure why i was invited and said i didn't have to attend. i said i have sent some work orders for the shop, and i find it helpful to follow along. it was slated for thirty minutes but it ended early as there wasn't much to discuss in the Q and A part. i did learn some things from it. facility manager said recycling does happen onsite, and even the paper towels in the bathrooms are composted. i let payroll know just after i returned from lunch how a check had printed and is ready for pick-up. no surprise how it was picked up right away, since it is the last day of the month and likely needed to go out right away. the colleague said the envelope was not needed so i will use it for a later check that is held for pick-up. the boss is handling a request from the shared box as it was a check i am not familiar with, related to unclaimed property. it is apparently found in a system that i don't use. there might be more check copies to find. a rep in i.t. asked about Cincinnati files, and we had already sent nine check samples for that business line. some were set up and may not have had any checks sent to us, though. but we still need to do a sweep of what is found on dashboard to see that we have covered all the kinds of checks that we print. the boss said it was fine to go back 2-3 years, except some of them were created fairly recently. it was already confirmed for i.t. how one business line, based in Kansas City, has four different files. three have the same DDA and the fourth is different as it is a Canadian file. i drank a can of blue moon with the evening meal and got another can of blue moon from the nearby liquor store so there still are four beers waiting. i did more searching about the much-ballyhooed green day movie and it looks like it may finally have a release date. two different articles found online say this would be released in august. one of those is a theater chain and this tells me it includes a release to theaters. i like hearing this as i don't do streaming. earlier this month an article said it had found a distributor and the movie had been retitled. 

one-day file transfer

the boss said early in the day how there was a power outage in another office, and their check files would be transferred to us for the day. both were in the afternoon; these were equipment finance checks. some were overnighted, but some will have to wait to be sent out. the second file arrived just after i have to send the mail tubs to the mailroom. i want to see that things are done right, so not a big deal to have it carried over to the next morning. we were given some forms to match up with some checks. it was under a hundred checks in all, sent PDF to us. i was also asked to pull out a 'zero check'. not a big deal, as i have done 'pull and shred' requests on other check files. a blue company envelope arrived, three refund checks were in it. a colleague that places supply orders for me asked about a contact for a business line in st. louis. i said i was familiar with two, and the name i was given was one i had never heard of. i was sent an excel spreadsheet related to UPS labels i had created. it was something about address corrections. the list went back to January, but it wasn't that many compared to the volume i send out each day. i also said that it is all about the address i am given by the business line.  

least used cart

vacation replacement said a toner cartridge arrived in the mailroom, and i was advised to get a cart for picking it up as the empty mail tubs were there as well. i decided to use the collapsible red cart. it is least used cart since we moved to this site over a year ago. there are four. but i am still thankful to have it as sometimes the others are occupied or don't serve the purpose as well as this one does. i still brought the cartridge back to the shop even though it is laser jet and we can't use it for check printing. the boss was in the shop and asked about the doorbell, i said it was fixed a few weeks ago, but it took a month for the solution. there was a weird email asking about tracking on regular mail, i said there wasn't any. i said that if tracking is being requested, i said the check needs to be overnighted. more payroll checks were picked up; this time it was three. all are for different recipients. i was in contact with one of them this morning to see if it was fine to be lumped together with the other two, and it was. it was confirmed by the business line that the special project is done, i found the thread to respond to and ask about it. 

refund checks finished?

 at work we saw the Jacksonville file return after no checks were sent on Friday. it was just over a hundred for the day, which makes me think we reached the end of the line on this special project of refund checks. fine with me. if that is the case, then we still have a decent number of envelopes left over. one box is not yet opened, and we have a partial as well. the final total was just over fourteen thousand checks in the past two weeks. a payroll check was picked up. in the evening i went to perform. i did stories about the bank, refrigerators, a meetup event, a DMV trip, seeing a movie, and making a find at goodwill. there was an announcement by the showrunner at the end of the night how the show might be ending soon. possibly a bombshell, unless someone else takes over. but it won't be me as i don't see myself as a leader. 

furniture order

 i knew it was time to replace some of my furniture so i did an online search recently and decided to go to slumberland, in Eagan. i am familiar with the area that the store is located as i had been to the goodwill store next to it. i got a good look around and laid down on some beds and found one i liked. i placed the order and asked for delivery as well as hauling away the existing one. when i was done i went over to the goodwill and bought four DVDs. when i got home i found out i already had one of them, the baseball story called 'bang the drum slowly'. but it's quite likely that i don't have the other three. i watched one of them later in the day, a documentary about Mt. Rushmore and other tourist attractions in the state. i fell asleep in my easy chair near the end of it, but i knew i was tired. then i had the urge to get moving again, and this meant going to the Mall of America. i found two more Charlie Brown items at the 'Japan store', Ebisu. it was some popcorn as well as some mouthwash. i got a scoop of ice cream at the cookie place as well but still don't have the airline miles from the other visit, earlier this month. i watched some of the united football league game on ABC, Louisville won big on the road against Dallas. a small crowd at this one, and according to the attendance figures i am finding online this is all too common. twenty games played so far, halfway through the regular season, and more than half of them have had crowds below ten thousand. the future of this league? forecast is still 'cloudy', even after an off-season where three of their eight teams were 'relocated'. 

lorne michaels documentary

 in the afternoon i went to see the documentary about Lorne Michaels, the executive producer of 'Saturday night live', at the mall in Eden Prairie. the official title is 'Lorne'. i know full well that docs usually don't have a wide appeal so i said, 'i need to see it now'. only one screening per day at this and other theaters in the area, and i was just one of three attendees, so i made the right choice. i liked it more than the Jason Reitman-directed 'Saturday Night', which was about the first episode of the variety show back in 1975. it helps that the doc covers a much wider timeframe. i liked seeing familiar clips such as 'Wayne's World', and Lorne produced it when this became a movie. also liked seeing how David Spade was part of this doc. i guess it did make sense that Mr. Michaels tried other ventures after that first five-year stint, but i wasn't too familiar with those shows as they didn't last long. i knew that Lorne became SNL producer again after a five-year absence. knowing about his gigs before SNL such as being a writer on 'laugh-in' was a nice discovery. when i was leaving the theater i did hear from the IMAX auditorium a song from the Michael Jackson biopic, but i currently have no plans to see it. i am more of a fan of his sister, Janet, and i found out that Janet wanted nothing to do with the movie. i actually used two loyalty programs while at the mall, and one of those was the movie theater chain, AMC. the other was the Barnes and Noble book shop, and i found a Charlie Brown book in their discount section. and i found a Charlie Brown seat cushion, and stickers, at the Mini-so store before that. when i got home i watched some of the baseball game on fox, cubs-dodgers. then i went to get groceries at Aldi as i wanted to get there before closing time. i missed the big inning when the dodgers went ahead, and they won by a wide margin in this one. there was an interview with Rick Monday, honoring the 50th anniversary of his saving a flag during a game. in the morning i went to the post office and picked up two boxes. one was the amazon orders, a birthday gift for my niece in Iowa. the other was a gift sent by a friend in st. louis. for lunch i had a sandwich at Jersey Mike's. i liked how i found more to do besides just the DMV trip to renew my license plates. i got it done early, arriving shortly after the place had opened for the day. there was light rain but i didn't have to wait outside for long as the line moved along quick enough. i also got a snack and juice at the nearby holiday gas station when i was done. i wanted something light as i already had cereal for breakfast before i hit the road. 

string cheese after copies

 i went to the copy store to print an event ticket in the morning. i was more willing to order event tickets again after waiting a week due to issues with my Hotmail account. for whatever reason, i couldn't get in when trying to log in on my laptop. it meant logging in on my phone, which i don't like near as much since it is a much smaller screen and i am more likely to get kicked off, multiple times. then it was on to Walgreen. i bought string cheese there for the first time in a while as the refrigerated aisle doors are unlocked again. i also got cookies, and a drink. two checks for payroll printed and different employee names on them. i was told it was fine to have them lumped together and these will be held for pick-up on Monday. i got recognized by a colleague, just for sending check copies. it isn't my most favorite duty in my job description, but i still like any recognition for the work that i do. the boss mentioned a toner cartridge was delivered late in the day, except the mailroom didn't have one. i said i can't use it if it is a laser jet, as we use a different kind for check printing. in the evening i first went to a meetup event at a micro-brewery. i chatted the most with a dude who spoke of being a janitor at the mall of America. i spoke of the stores and exhibits and food outlets i go to the most at that mall. then it was off to Hy-Vee in Eagan for groceries, where i spoke to an employee that my only weekend plans were 'a boring trip to the DMV', sorry to disappoint. 

third tech visit

 this morning we had the third tech visit of the week. hopefully it is the final one for a while. much like the previous two, it was in the morning. much like the most recent one, it was to swap out belts. this time the boss was in the shop and had questions, as expected. i did say to the boss how i reported it early but we couldn't find much at first. the backlog went down after spiking a little, now it is one thousand four hundred. this is no doubt more manageable. there was a weird message in the shared box. i saw a tracking number for checks i had overnighted two weeks ago. the question was if the checks were cut and sent out, and the tracking number said it was already delivered. it seemed to be the main research that i could do and asked what else could be done. i said i had done my part. when vacation replacement heard about it, the response was that some people have no common sense. i had the craft brew from Decorah with my evening meal, then got another can of beer at the liquor store. this time it was a Hamm's, and now there still are four beers waiting. i often pay attention to music where i am, and in the store a rap song was playing. i found it was called 'snap yo fingers', by lil jon. the most memorable lyric was 'you can do it all by yourself'. 

this time a rachel

 we had another department luncheon; this time it was for the boss's birthday. we went to the same place as last month, it was D-Brian's. i decided to get a different sandwich though, a Rachel instead of a Reuben. i found out the main difference was the meat in it. a Reuben has corned beef, and a Rachel has turkey. it still tasted good, so it works for me. there was a town hall dial-in meeting just before it. i was called by my boss, asking if i was attending the luncheon. i said i was waiting for the elevator, one of three waiting. good thing i got on the first one when the door opened, even though it was going up and i needed to go down, to the main floor. it did not stop on my floor on the way down, so it paid off to take the scenic route. it must be a busy time of day for the elevators due to lunch. i wouldn't know as i am usually staying on the same floor and having lunch in the breakroom, a can of soup. only one who skipped it was vacation replacement. in the morning i went to another floor as the team lead said there was donuts brought in from Krispy Kreme, and i got one. the checks for the tax specialist were late. i was busy with various things and did not see the request to send the checks to the Brooklyns due to working from home. i saw it right before i left for the luncheon. there was a small volume of returned checks to forward on, and the mailroom sent me a 'blue company envelope'. the boss wanted check copies or four different business lines, although some of them we hardly ever print for. these were found on three different tabs in the system i print from. 

special project update

 at work i had to ask about the special project, doing refund checks for the Jacksonville file. this was the first day since it started where the volume was under two thousand for the day. we were told that it was due to some checks rejecting. and the remaining volume is just over four thousand, so it should all be done at the end of the week. due to the high volume from it and the Fargo file, not all checks were sent out same day. the total left over was three thousand five hundred. i do my best to see that any carryover is done first the next day, though. in accounting i know this was called 'first in, first out'. the boss said the business line still hasn't sent us their cost center for the supply order to cover the volume. the machine stalled again and i let the tech know and there will be another tech visit the next morning. 

client freaking out

 at work i hear all kinds of things. one thing in particular was from an instant message, saying 'the client is freaking out'. it was about an overnighted check that i got into the UPS box but still wasn't picked up yet. i didn't like how it was related to something i have no control over. same is true with when i get a check to print. it is not my fault if the business line claims it was sent to me late, which makes it sound like it can't be late when i get it. i say it all the time, how it is up to UPS to pick up and deliver once i get it in the box. a payroll check was picked up. the mailroom sent me refund checks from Fargo. a tech arrived for the inserter machine, in the morning, but nothing was found. the unit still stalled around midday, but so far turning it off and turning it back on after a few minutes has allowed us to run more checks through. in the evening i went to perform. i did stories about the milkshake blender, seeing a documentary, a last-minute ticket offer, and the bank. 

american dream movie

 just before midday i went to see a movie in the MSP film festival, it was 'American dream'. it was a documentary about the strike at the Hormel plant in Austin, Minnesota, in the 1980s. it was originally released in 1990, if i am not mistaken. every so often i said 'yep' in a muted voice, as what was being depicted was sad but true. i was annoyed with the grandstanding that a retired college professor was doing during the Q and A. i had a question answered in the lobby after this was done, by two members in blue jackets that said, 'press corps', who had covered the strike for the star tribune paper. one of them showed the book written about it and said it was available at amazon. this was the final day of the 12-day event. i didn't like the parking in the area, again. tried paying at a meter, street parking, it kept canceling my purchase. then i went to a ramp, and it was all QR codes. i found free street parking, blocks away. i missed some of the presenters but made it before the movie started. i went to Bobby and Steve's for a sandwich and milkshake after the movie. the blender wasn't working that well, only speed working was 'less thick'.  the attendant said a tech was called but arrival would be the next day. in the morning i did the laundry and had some coffee at a nearby caribou. 

no food order for suite

 i went to the Minnesota Twins baseball game in the afternoon, a free ticket offered by my employer. except i found out upon arrival that there was no food order for the suite. and the refrigerator, full of beer, was locked up. it was still the first inning, so i went to another level and found my lunch. i got a 'big dog' hot dog, chips, and a can of root beer. the twins led for most of the game, but Cincinnati chipped away in the late innings and the twins lost, 5-4. I'm not going to complain at all as i got in free. i knew no one in the suite. there was a bag of popcorn in the suite and i did eat some of it. after the game, i liked finding the framed commemorative baseball jersey in honor of the green day concert at this stadium from over a year ago. this was a show that i had attended. in the morning i went to the post office, except there were no orders to pick up. i was trading text messages with my niece and said i placed an order for her elder daughter's birthday through the amazon gift list. i wanted to get it done before any more time passed as it is less than a month away. i moved up going to get groceries at Aldi, going around midday. i liked how it still gave me enough time to take the light rail to the game. the last-minute change in the schedule meant that i did not attend the two meetup events i had signed up for. i knew full well that i would have neither the time, nor the energy, to attend those events after being at the game. i had the evening meal at home and watched a baseball game on fox. matchup was braves vs. Phillies and the braves won. 

dolly parton, special magazine

 we all know how i like those special magazines about famous people or historic events. i bought one this morning at Walgreen, about Dolly Parton. there were two available, at the same price. i chose the one published by rolling stone. it appears the other one, from people magazine, was just recycled articles and covers from over the years. i liked being able to compare before choosing, as i am aware that not all choices are the same, no matter what the product is. i saw an email in the morning that arrived after i had left for the day that was about a check from the newer Cincinnati file. i said what i could do, since it had already been approved, is to print it and send it to the shred bin. near my lunchtime i saw an instant message from the mailroom, asking me to pick up the empty mail tubs and the boxes of UPS envelopes that had just arrived. i said normally these were brought to the shop, but i was told that they were behind on things since some deliveries had arrived late. not a big deal, i am no stranger to using carts to get things moved. and if i don't have the mail tubs by the end of my lunch, i go there to pick them up anyway. there was a request to overnight a check to a different address in Canada. the one in the email was already on the check, though. but a different city in the province of Ontario than where the first check was sent. the boss called in the afternoon, offering me a ticket to the Minnesota Twins baseball game this weekend. i accepted. this would be just the second game that i have seen in the bank's suite. there was a dial-in meeting in the morning, i was barely paying attention to it. as i recall, it was mostly about AI. at one point the moderator spoke of 'hallucinogens'. in the evening i went to get groceries at the Hy-Vee in Eagan. the employee that asks about my weekend plans was my cashier, and i was impressed by the memory of hearing that one of the previous plans was a hockey game. i also got a can of jack and coke at the adjacent liquor store, before going to the grocery part. 

follies movie

 in the evening i went to a movie in Edina in a film festival, called 'follies'. it was a subtitled French-Canadian film. the director, who also stars in it, was scheduled to appear but was ill. a statement was read by a rep of the film festival. i like this satellite venue, as there is a free parking ramp next to the theater. easy in and easy out. i left fairly early as i wanted to be on time for the movie and get the evening meal handled near the venue. i picked up a sandwich from a holiday gas station, two blocks over. we were given ballots when entering the auditorium, where we tear to give our rating, range between one to five stars. i gave it a three. the movie had its moments, no doubt. but parts of it left a lot to be desired. it was about a married couple with two daughters deciding to have an open relationship. there were various 'acts' or chapters of the attempts made at this goal, to become happier. some worked better than others. but in the end, it didn't seem like the end result was realistic in terms of what one would have expected to happen. there was one scene inspired by the movie 'eyes wide shut'. i have seen it but not in a while. after the movie i walked around a little before getting back in my car and heading home. i stopped at a nearby Walgreen and picked up a few items. all happened to be ones that i haven't had before. this included a can of Celsius, mango lemonade flavor. along with a sponge bob-themed popsicle. i consumed both of those right away and was pleased with the choice. the third item was discounted easter candy, two pieces of Dunkin donuts eggs. i will have those soon enough. at work there was inquiry from a senior leader about a Fargo check. i recognized what business line it was from and copied the contacts for it. i also saw a weird error message on the inserter machine, it said 'motor stalled'. i re-booted it and was able to run some more checks through, then shut it off for lunch. i didn't get that error for the rest of the day. i called the remote help line to ask for advice about it. the tech responded on my laptop phone and said if it is up and running again, then we could wait to see how it performs in the near future. 

rare check overnighted

there was a request to overnight a rare check, actually 'return to business line', in this case Cincinnati. there is a 'companion' file that we see on the daily. this one in particular we don't see most days, and when we do it is just one. i checked and since New Year's Day this is just the third check i had printed for this business line. i was informed of this plan before seeing the check and i said it is best to email me as i can more easily send back the tracking number when it is available. this was the first day of the special project, a file that is normally just twenty checks a day recently said there would be a spike in volume, in the thousands. the business line is based in Jacksonville. the boss had previously said that when this happens, we will do two thousand checks a day. and we have to bill it to their cost center due to having to order enough check stock and envelopes to cover the volume. we saw these checks in the afternoon, and not all of them went out the same day. but i will send out as many as i can each day. sounds like the final volume expected will be just over half of what we were told at the outset. i know this has happened before as well. 

small business checks

 every so often, i get a special request from a colleague about certain checks. this one was to pull it from the PDF file, and i did. i was correct to do just that at first and then wait to hear more. sometimes it is just to send it to the shred bin, but not this time. it was to overnight it to San Diego. i recognized the business line, it does small business checks. it meant i didn't have to create a separate label for it as i am sending them checks on the daily most of the time. i prefer to lump together checks whenever possible, as it saves on overnight labels and envelopes. when i found this out i sent the tracking number and got a thank you. vacation replacement was not in, mention of being ill. it means that returned checks for our internal business line can stay in the shop a little longer. not a big deal as the volume is low. 

defunct check file?

 at work, the boss called me about four check files in particular. three of them i print regularly, but i had to say that the fourth is one that i haven't seen at all in my time with the bank. vacation replacement said it was a file once printed in our shop, but not even during his tenure. i am aware that the boss has more questions about check files since the main system that we print from will be going away later this year. there was also a late email saying the boss would be out of the office until the end of the week. in the morning i went to a copy store and printed an event ticket. this works out just fine because i don't need to log into my email and spend more to do so. in the evening i went to perform. i did stories about a Facebook photo from years ago still getting reactions, the supermom, the bank, an america-250 weekend, and going to the Julia Child exhibit. 

rear window movie

 just before midday i went to see a movie in Columbia heights, it was 'rear window' as part of this year's Hitchcock film festival. i like Jimmy Stewart and this one had me guessing until the end. i knew this movie as being parodied on 'the Simpsons' and name-checked in a Lady Gaga song. this was 'bad romance'. it was my second visit to this theater, and while there i got an idea for another visit. there is a Cary Grant series starting soon, seven movies in all. i prefer to make it count and will likely just see one of them. when i already have 'affair to remember' on DVD, then of course that one is out. there was a good crowd for this screening, the second of two at this venue. i still know it as the sister theater to the trylon, which i get to more often. after the movie it was time for lunch and i went to a buffet in a plaza, one block over. probably a good thing that i don't go to buffets much as there is always a temptation to overeat. i stopped before i felt full, though. i liked how there was soft-serve ice cream there, so i had some. i tried to watch a united football league game when i got home, but i was tired. the St. Louis Battlehawks were home against the Birmingham Stallions. i decided to lay down at halftime and when i woke up it was near the end of the game, but St. Louis went on to win it. i had the evening meal and then near the end of the night i did the dishes. 

great awakening movie

 in the evening i went to see the movie 'great awakening', in Woodbury. it had been a minute since i had seen a movie in this theater, as i like my loyalty programs. this one isn't a part of the AMC or Emagine chains. i figured it would be a good idea to sit up front, but not in this theater. one is way too close to the screen in the first row. when the movie began, i moved back two rows, and it was a much better view. i did not recognize any of the actors in it, but i cared more about the story. even though i majored in history, the preacher in it, George Whitefield, wasn't in any of the history books i had read. this was ben franklin's friend. there was a hymn in it that i recognized from easter services, a Wesley hymn as Whitefield knew the Wesleys. this was 'love divine'. it did have the feel of many other biopics i had seen, where some but not all of franklin's accomplishments were mentioned. and i knew full well to expect the discovery of electricity with the kite and key as it was in the previews. i liked how it ended on a high note, as franklin didn't love all that long after the constitutional convention. nothing in his life was depicted after that. little or nothing was depicted from the American revolutionary war as i recall, it was more about events before and after it. i have been to franklin's home in London, which still stands, unlike the one in Philadelphia, and i have been to that city too. there were things to do before this event, though. i went to a lecture at the Minnesota history center just before midday, it was about John Adams. then i had lunch in the restaurant district just down the road near the hockey arena, at a pizza place. after lunch i returned to the museum and toured the Julia Child exhibit. i was there until just before closing time, but i wanted to get a good look around. i found out Julia was spoofed on 'Saturday night live' and 'sesame street'. it is proof that one is famous if one has been spoofed. it made me feel old when i saw VHS tapes on display as a museum artifact as i still have some of those. then i made it to Aldi for groceries before i went to the movie. 

patriotic rubber ducks

 in the morning i made it to Walgreen and bought more than just cookies and a drink. in the seasonal aisle i saw some patriotic rubber ducks and bought two of them. one looks like Uncle Sam and the other looks like the statue of liberty. both were a buck-fifty so i could justify that amount easily, so two more america-250 items have been acquired. in the evening i went to the Dunkin donuts in Eagan and got coffee and a donut, then headed to the Hy-Vee. saw the cashier that often recognizes me. i chatted with another employee before checking out, picking up some Oreos. although i was bored with hearing about her life as a supermom and paralegal. she couldn't get her facts straight about famous people, either. at work i added a day off to our team's calendar, in early June. i got a rare call on my laptop phone, the courier needed help with finding the building. this was the delivery of the check stock order. there was mention of a wallpaper and screen saver change as well. this might explain why the team lead spoke at the huddle about our website where we log into payroll, since it has changed too, showing us palm trees. don't know how this affects me though, as i leave for the day after logging out and finally seeing a 'blue screen' with the time on it. 

dead battery was culprit

 the doorbell to the check shop was finally fixed in the afternoon, after a month of waiting. the tech arrived just as i was about to leave for lunch, but it was handled fairly quickly. i decided to eat my lunch in the shop, on an alternate table from where i do most of my work. the tech said the culprit was dead batteries, and those were swapped out. i helped with testing it, and that is what i said when the second work order was created. i wanted techs to show up when i am there so i could help with testing. i was told the first visit, the one before my start time for the day, was likely from building management and not his company. a check for payroll was picked up in the morning, and another in the afternoon, not long after the doorbell was up and running again. payroll is now in the same building, but on floor 13. i guess this building does not skip that floor, but some do. two boxes of envelopes arrived, but there are still two others that i am waiting for. i let my colleague know and found out the courier envelopes hadn't been ordered yet. i liked how another thing was finally handled, a check that was on dashboard for two weeks that was awaiting approval. it was the proverbial 'get off the pot'. i let I.T. know this time, as letting the business line know yielded no response. found out the check was no longer needed, so the line item was removed. a check for the manager that likes karaoke was sent to another floor late in the afternoon, after i had sent the regular mail tubs to the mailroom. i stopped on main floor to send UPS envelopes to the box, then i was on my way. it was a 'drop and leave' as the manager was in a conference room waiting for a dial-in meeting to begin. in the evening i drank the can of miller lite with my meal and now there are three beers waiting. 

table about tech conference

 when i was on my way back to the shop after the rescheduled team huddle, i was on the main floor and decided to ask what the table near the turnstiles was about. it was an upcoming technology conference if i am not mistaken, but i don't know how i could make my role more efficient. and it sounds like these are long sessions and i have just one vacation replacement. i did pick up a plastic cup with the bank's logo on it, after playing their 'Plinko' game. there were 11 boxes of check stock just outside the door of the shop when i made it back. sometimes i have to leave the floor, it can't be helped. i got out a cart and brought them in, making two trips to complete it. i was asked to hold a payroll check until the next day, not a big deal. the team huddle did speak of the survey that is due soon, i said i would do it once i got another reminder. the boss asked for the cost center from the business line related to the special project, as we've ordered the supplies already to cover the demand. i was asked for a tracking number on the Cincinnati file, even though this business line sends them to me. it was related to me saying i was using just one label after noticing three checks were going to the same address in NYC. once i checked the tracking, i found out delivery had been delayed, something about the incorrect suite number. good chance it gets sent back to Oregon. 

early arrival, tax specialist

 i saw an instant message from the tax specialist asking about a Canadian check. i said it wasn't printed yet but i could get it done soon, just needed to swap out the check stock for the Canadian kind. it was afternoon and i had just printed the main ad-hoc file of tax checks, 18 in all. normally these would all be picked up the next morning, but i was told the Canadian check needed to go out same day to avoid fines. i was asked where the UPS box is, as this dude is new to the building. i said it was on the main floor between two food outlets, in the hall. the boss was ill, so our team huddle didn't happen. i was given a PO box address for a PDF check that had no address on it. this is a rare occurrence. the big envelope order arrived, then i asked when the check stock order would be arriving. looks like the supplier still needed the purchase order, and a colleague sent it on my behalf. 

yellow bird tops

 in the evening i went to a Walgreen to see what easter candy was available since it would be discounted. i chose two tubes of Reese's peanut butter mini-cups, and these had yellow bird tops on them. while there i responded to a text message from my niece, who said there would be no birthday party for her elder daughter, but a wish list would be available on Facebook. i also got some cheese sticks and a Charlie Brown gift box. at work it was largely uneventful. there was a check for the manager that likes karaoke, it was in the second i-pay file of the day. i was asked to hold it until the next day as she was working from home. before i made it to Walgreen i went to the copy store and printed an event ticket, an upcoming history lecture. 

bunny cookies

 i went to the Easter Sunday service at a church in downtown St. Paul. there was an Easter egg hunt after the service for the kids, so they wanted us adults to leave the sanctuary right away. it meant going to the fellowship hall, where i had some cheese, juice, and a bunny cookie. when i got home it was time for lunch, and another day of frying up some Spam and boiling some ramen noodles. now there is just one noodle packet that remains from the February purchase. i watched some Charlie Brown DVDs, i was a little behind on that. there was the 'Easter beagle', then the first Valentines special. i went to mall of America in the early evening for a blizzard treat at dairy queen. i also wanted to have pizza there, but i noticed some of the food outlets were closed. either closed all day due to the holiday or had closed early. since this was true of my preferred choices, i didn't eat there. i got a sandwich and some juice at a speedway gas station. then i went to a bar, but found out there was no open-mic, also likely due to the holiday. i did chat a little with a bar patron that had recognized me from performing, though. in the evening i called my dad, who said he'd received the event invite from my cousin. then after the call i did the dishes. 

thief movie

 in the evening i went to see a movie at the trylon, it was 'thief', starring James Caan. also in it was Willie Nelson, but in a small role. Jim Belushi had more screen time than Willie did. this was about a safe cracker that wanted to do one last job, and the setting was Chicago. i laughed at times as James proved to be witty, or just plain dour. a reminder of the setting was seeing a bag from the jewel grocery store, which is common in the Chicago metro area. i will likely get to another movie at this venue next month. the day was also about errand running. in the morning i went to the post office, but no orders to be picked up. i moved up going to Aldi for groceries, going there just after lunch was done. i did some cooking, frying up some spam and boiling some ramen noodles. before lunch i went to have some change counted at the credit union. there was a sign up that said pennies would no longer be accepted later in the month, but then a teller said that was no longer true and said it was being taken down. over four dollars in change went into my savings account. after i went to Aldi, i went to see the St. Paul Saints baseball game, my first of the season. the weather report didn't look good, but a full nine-inning game was played. i chose this day as i wanted the magnet schedule. the saints lost to Worcester, the Red Sox team, 5-3. there were some snow flurries during the game. there was plenty of the long ball, but i am used to this by now. with triple-a baseball, those players have to be good hitters just to make it this far. since i ate before i made it to the stadium, i didn't need as much when i was there. it was just as well, as there was a small crowd due to the chilly weather and not every concession stand was open. i got some hot chocolate, then later on some cheese curds. i chatted with an usher for a while during the game. i bought two souvenirs. there was the license plate magnet, and a Softee baseball. i did have a brief interlude at home, then i went to have a sandwich at a holiday gas station before heading to the movie. i didn't do much after the movie. 

clorets chewing gum

 in the evening i went to eat at mall of America, at A and W. i had a fish sandwich, and this rounded out my fish fry tour for the Lenten season. then i went to get some ice cream at a cookie place as i wanted some airline miles. and after that it was to the Japan store as i call it, 'Ebisu'. i bought two more Charlie Brown items there. one of them was Clorets chewing gum, the other was Snoopy popcorn that was produced by Frito-Lay. good thing i got the gum this time as there weren't many containers left compared to my most recent visit about six weeks ago. then it was on to Hy-Vee in Eagan, for a nine-item order that included a can of Spam. i still have some ramen noodle packets remaining and the Spam will help with using up the noodles. at work, i let a business line know that a check has been stuck in 'awaiting approval' for over a week. it was time to say something, but who knows when this shared box will respond? when two checks for our tax specialist were picked up by the courier, i looked at one of them and noticed it went to another office first. this led to me saying i had no idea there were other tax specialists, i found out his team has fifteen people on it. this means it is a larger team than the one i am on. in the morning, i saw the manager that likes karaoke when i was picking up the reject fax. i wasn't expecting to see anyone on the floor as usually it is deserted on a Friday. there was mention of how 'easter Monday' is a holiday in Ireland, and the bank has offices there. i also saw a senior leader before leaving the floor and we chatted a little before his dial-in meeting began. 

no twin labels

i had a question from a colleague based in the Marshall office, it was about the UPS overnight labels i print. i said i print just one per envelope. sounds like their office prints two per envelope and one of them goes inside. i said usually i am asked to send a check and nothing else. when i was shown how to do the overnighting no one said i needed to print each label twice. and it would be hard to justify doing so when i do a high volume of overnights. the previous day, i did forty. i got a closer look at the invite that my cousin sent me and it looks like no day off is needed for me to attend it. this makes the logistics easier for me. i still need to make reservations such as for the hotel, though. it was popcorn day, i like doing this event, on the skyway level. i made a point of saying this to one of the people handling the popcorn table. i am aware of how the higher headcount in this building is likely why there are more events for employees at the current location than the previous one. the boss was in the shop and saw the email about a special project for the Jacksonville file soon. i responded to it when i saw it and said we don't have enough envelopes and check stock to cover the volume; we would need to order it. this is a file where we get just twenty checks on most days, but there have been times where the volume will spike into the thousands. in the evening i drank the can of a mixed drink. it was called 'cold brooze', whiskey and coffee, and was produced in Texas. i went to the liquor store and got a can of blue moon so there still are four beers waiting.  

train delay, lawsuit threat

i know one thing i don't miss from no longer doing call center work is what i called 'the daily lawsuit threat'. i heard one of these in the morning. there was a delay on the train taking me to work, actually two. the second one was longer. we had to get off the train and wait for the next one. and once we had re-boarded there was a dude near me who said he'd be suing. for what? far as i know, there were no injuries or fatalities. this was the first time i had sent a text to vacation replacement once i was given the current number. it was the typical 'train is late' then 'i am back on' and these texts were about seven minutes apart. there still are riders that end up arguing with the fare enforcement team when unable to produce a paid fare. one of them spoke about a birthday in the family. i had a request from the Kansas City business line to add four more checks to the 'return to business line' envelope. at the outset it was only going to be two. after finding three of the four, i was told the fourth was already slated to be overnighted to the address on the check. then i found it. when vacation replacement arrived in the shop, i handed off the returned checks for our group, it was just five. near the end of the day, the boss was in the shop and sent two scanned checks to an I.T. rep and now the MICR line is fine. we found out there was some confusion about which one i was asking to have moved down, as there were two files but one of these, we don't see near as often and has a much lower volume as well when we do see it. 

team kudo board

an employee in another office, in Marshall, shared a plan to start a 'team kudo board'. it was in relation to being recognized by our colleagues. hard to say if i will participate, though. i do get these and sometimes my boss responds when i get them but i just want to get my work done. there was a response to a year-old email in the morning, saw it when i arrived for the day. then i was told to disregard it, okay. i did a quick dial-in meeting with the boss, who was working remotely. there was a question about the contact for the court file, i said it likely was someone in Arizona who has a cowboy hat on in his photo. a big shipment of envelopes arrived just minutes after a check was picked up. it was the full 27-box order instead of just the 14-box backorder. since it is the end of the month, i decided to order fewer boxes for April. all about ordering what i need, no more no less. an instant message from commercial customer service after i had left for the day, i responded on arrival. it was asking about payee names on checks. i said i had seen some long names and it should be fine to continue onto the second line. then i got the acknowledgement of my answer later in the day. i spoke to the manager that likes karaoke about alternate plans as i see the weather report for this week's St. Paul Saints baseball games. if a game is postponed, i would still like to see a game in the same series, if at all possible. near the end of the day, vacation replacement showed up to pick up some returned checks. i did hear the reason for being absent the previous day. something about how his cousin is getting divorced and wanting to advise him about it. getting an attorney is good advice. other things were related to finance, due to working in finance. seeing things like the other party cleaning out a joint account. in the evening i got an event invite through Facebook from a cousin. now i would like to figure out the logistics of attending.  

self-slap meme

at work there was an instant message asking me to disregard a check that been approved in the Cincinnati file. i said i could print it and just send it to the shred bin, and i did. i noticed there was a meme after this, and it was a yellow face slapping itself. it reminded me of a beer commercial from Amstel light, with a deadpan delivery. as a man in a lab coat at the brewery slapped himself. 'Sorry, we're from Amsterdam, we didn't know light beer was supposed to suck'. the commercial is still really funny to me and i like viewing it on YouTube. another payroll check was picked up. i decided to add myself to an email thread about sending returned checks to st. louis, but by the end of the day there was no response, even though i said 'please advise'. i also said the two main options were regular mail, or inter-office. i did a dial-in meeting mid-morning about work orders and it was mainly facility managers. i spoke of the unfinished work order i had created and was told i was the main contact for the department i am in. this is likely due to being the main employee in the check shop. it reminded me a little of an old sitcom. in the evening i went to perform. it did stories about the bank, attending a fish fry, seeing a play, seeing a movie, and two times i said i wasn't tech-savvy. 

scream 7 movie

 in the early afternoon i went to see 'scream 7', in Edina, at Southdale mall. i know i hadn't seen all of the previous movies in this franchise, i can only recall seeing 1,2, and 5. it is a reminder of how the movie industry has changed in the past 30 years. i have one of them on DVD, it is in a blockbuster case. and i saw '5' as a Redbox rental. both of those companies have ceased to exist as we know it. i watched my DVD copy of '1' in the morning, then went to have lunch at McDonald's. after lunch i headed to the movie. it was a good thing i re-watched that disc as movie franchises often copy things from earlier installments. it is what the fans expect, and often want, as it is familiar. i laughed a decent amount while watching it, so i enjoyed my time there. my only Halloween costume is the 'Ghostface' costume inspired by these movies, but i wasn't wearing it at this screening. it does remind me of where i was living when i saw '1' and '2', though, which was West Des Moines, Iowa. i paid my rent down the block in a costume shop and that shop sold the costume, but i didn't buy it there. i bought it after i had moved to suburban Chicago. some of the previews were of other horror movies, but the 'scream' franchise seems to be the only one i really like from that genre. after the movie i went to print two years of tax returns at a FedEx office. it worked just fine on printing with a release code as it was self-service. i found out the St. Paul Saints ticket i had ordered can be sent to google wallet, so one less thing that i needed to print. i had used that app just once so far, for the world junior hockey tournament. when i attend plenty of Saints games each season, this saves me some trips to the copy store to print those tickets out. after the copy store i got gas at a nearby speedway gas station and went inside for some snacks as well. i was getting annoyed with the clerk, though. he was flirting with the lady in front of me and then wanted to lecture me about still using the loyalty card and said i should be using the app. i didn't do much after getting home. i did the dishes, then hooked up my phone to recharge the battery. 

mrs. parker, mr. porter play

 in the evening i went to a play inside the loft literary center building in Minneapolis, called 'Mrs. parker, Mr. porter'. it was about writer Dorothy Parker, and musician Cole Porter. the staging reminded me of the round theater, just down the street a little. first time i recall being there for something that wasn't a loft event, an organization that i am a member of. there was plenty of music in it, and plenty of Dorothy quips. one of them was familiar from the movie i had seen where Jennifer Jason Leigh played her, the one ending with 'you might as well live'. at one point i could tell what happened likely wasn't in the script, it was when an actor had sat down in a chair at the edge of the 'stage' and a drink was spilled. good show, thankful i attended it. the card said it was a world premiere, through 'stage north'. i had seen it promoted at a venue i perform in. i did plenty of chores and errand running before heading to the play. there was going to the post office to mail two letters to family. while there i picked up a sheet of stamps of American revolution battlefields. i tried to print some things at FedEx office but it just wasn't happening, unable to get logged into Hotmail on one of their computers. i didn't like how an employee wasn't helpful at all, claiming it was due to 'caps lock' when it wasn't. i was able to get logged in at home, so i know it had nothing to do with the password i was typing in. i had lunch at Jersey Mike's and got groceries at Aldi. i tried another FedEx and was told, as expected, the issue was too much security that prevented me from getting logged in. i liked how an alternate idea was given- if PDF then send it to one of our printers and make a note of the code emailed to you when it is sent to get it released. after this i went to eat at chick-fil-a. it does remind me of what i have said before- 'don't get frustrated, get smarter' when i am trying to figure out technology issues. 

a different bridge traveled

 i went to another fish fry in the evening and this is a venue i had been to before. this time a different bridge was used to get there. i was going by the directions given by MapQuest, and it worked out just fine. it meant i wasn't going uphill to get to the church. this was St. Matt's in St. Paul. i liked not just the view of the river while on the bridge, but also of the skyline. there was music, and i decided to sit closer this time. but it also helped that i didn't have a cup of beer to carry on my food tray. my food was brought to me. recognized just one song played, it was 'pop goes the weasel'. now there is one more fish fry to attend during this season. then it was on to the Hy-Vee in Eagan. i did see the employee i sometimes chat with and was asked about weekend plans, i said it was to see a movie. at work i was sent some recognition for the check copy requests that i handle. near the end of the day i did acknowledge and respond to it, saying thank you. i asked vacation replacement about doing these and the response was the PDF files are not as fun to search as the other ones. i said i don't enjoy doing those as my understood marching orders are to get the live checks out. but i will admit it is nice to hear some appreciation from anyone for what i do. i also asked the supplier when the backorder on the envelopes would be arriving for the Fargo files. just half of the order had arrived this month. sounds like the rest of it should be delivered early next week. 

no color logos

 at work i was asked if there are any colors on the checks i print, and i said no. another issue on getting started in the morning, this time i saw weird characters on the checks instead of DDA digits. looks like we just had to wait until all of the software updates took place, even though i figured this would have happened overnight. another check was sent to the manager that likes karaoke, in the afternoon. this was a 'drop and leave' as she was in a meeting and i had other things i needed to get done. another check was printed for payroll, when i notified that department i was told to hold it until Monday. day four of the food events was donuts from cardigan again, this time i got an actual donut instead of donut holes. in the evening i had a can of natural ice with my meal. i also went to the nearby liquor store and got a can of toppling goliath, brewed in Decorah, Iowa. i still have four beers waiting. 

genuine legal tender bill

 i was surprised by what i received near the end of the workday. vacation replacement spoke of a gift, figured it was a joke in reference to being sent mail to be sent out. but it wasn't. it was a two-dollar bill, commemorative related to my 'animal year' with the Chinese New Year. i did say thank you and asked if there was anything i could do in return. day three of the food events was sandwiches from Jimmy John's. i had two small sandwiches, although i think one had no bread at all and was just wrapped in lettuce. notable about the morning was how long it took to get logged in. i knew something wasn't right as all i saw was a 'globe icon'. this means the wi-fi isn't working. i know things are fine if i see a 'fountain icon' as it means the wi-fi is up and running. eventually i asked for help by going to another floor and was advised to choose my own wi-fi system, something that i didn't have to do before. i was also on an email thread related to a check from the PDF file. i said it wasn't overnighted as i didn't see this word in the comment section. with another check, the newer Cincinnati file, there was too many questions after i said two checks going to the same place would go in the same envelope and which label wasn't being used. i say this as a courtesy in case there is questions about why there is no activity on one of the labels. it meant not only forwarding back one of the labels. but also sending a 'screen snip' to prove who the other requestor was. 

eraser found

 in the evening i went on a walk and one place i went into i had hoped to find some coins on the floor. instead, i found an eraser, looks like a perfectly good one to me, so i claimed it. day two on food events at work was bagels. i chose one with what i understood was strawberry spread but i think it was plain spread when i tasted it. there were more 'pull and shred' requests on the fraud file than typical. one requestor sent four, but i found only one. another requestor i am familiar with from discussing st. louis sent one a little late. i heard the instant message ping, sent after the email, this helped with having enough time to find it. there was the department, or team, luncheon, at d-Brian's, a place i chose as it is my birthday month. i ordered a Reuben sandwich, most places have one and can't go too far wrong with it. 

printed, why not forwarded?

 near the end of the workday i send the mail tubs to the mailroom. one of those employees decided to give me a printed email about retuned checks i send to st. louis, which goes through digital mail. i said it was better to just forward me the email thread so i can ask more questions there. and i say i like being able to copy someone on an email to keep them in the loop. a check was picked up by the payroll department. there was some surprise that the doorbell still wasn't fixed yet. i sent another check to a different floor. it was for the manager that likes karaoke, but i was told to leave it with the team lead. and while there, i did the first of the food events for employee appreciation week. it was donuts from cardigan, i chose some donut holes. there was some confusion on a check i had scanned. i said it needs an overnight label, as there was no address on it. on my response when there were questions, i said if it is intended to go regular mail then i need to know where. eventually i was sent an overnight label. in the evening i went to perform. i did stories about an open house, a meetup event, a movie conversation, drink tickets, and the bank. 

matewan movie

 in the evening i went to the trylon and saw the movie 'Matewan'. i wanted to see it as James Earl Jones is in it. i also ended up liking another character, it was the teenage preacher. the music in it was good. notable was the song 'gathering storm' by hazel dickens. this was during a funeral scene. after i had seen the movie i found out she performed some other songs for this same movie. this was about trying to establish a labor union in a coal mining town. it was the second movie i have seen in the 'bad company'- or evil corporation- series being done at this theater. i had some popcorn while there. and before the movie, i chatted a little more with the cub foods dude that i saw at the screening of 'Soylent green' a little over two weeks ago. the dude was surprised that i had seen 'goat' but i did say the music in it helped. something about not expecting me to like animated movies. there are some more movies that i would like to see at this venue real soon, but i am still trying to figure out the logistics. my guess is i will continue to average at least one movie a month there, based on what is scheduled for the next few months. i made it to Aldi for groceries just before midday and had breakfast at McDonald's. the college basketball tournament is ongoing, i watched some of the games on CBS. i know Iowa stunned Florida to make it to the regionals.  i was following the score a little before leaving for the movie. i watched st. john's beat Kansas. 

rochester dude, meetup event

 i went to a meetup event at a micro-brewery in Robbinsdale in the mid-afternoon. notable about being there was meeting a dude that drove up from Rochester and spoke of working in i.t. at mayo clinic. surprised me that someone would travel that far for an event. i had one beer and some popcorn and stayed until the end of the time allotment. actually, a little past that. i said i needed to get the evening meal, and i went to the nearby McDonald's. i wanted a shamrock shake with my meal and got one. when i was eating my meal i noticed some young people nearby. a dude was badgering a lady and eventually backed off. after i was done i went to the gas station at Hy-Vee down the road. before the event i went to the dollar tree and got a bottle of dish soap. a little weird going back to this area as it was familiar from working nearby, but the move was already over a year ago. in the morning i went to the post office, one e-bay order was picked up. it was a postcard from New Ulm. i had lunch at home as i wanted to finish up a few things. i spent enough time out of town that the visit to Aldi will have to wait until the next day. not a big deal, though. a little bummed that a friend, the retired postal worker, was unable to attend but i still had a good time. there was mention of being on a board of directors for a theater organization, there was a scheduling conflict. also in the afternoon, i went to the French alliance for an open house and to see the art exhibit, it was called 'theater du silence'. i bought a coffee and pastry in their cafe and picked up a flyer about the upcoming MSP film festival. it listed francophone films. i usually see one, maybe two, at these festivals as the tickets cost more than outside of it. i was getting annoyed with a dude that kept 'bogarting' a lady at the table where i picked up the flyer. at another table, it was also annoying when the conversation devolved into favorite sports teams. these tables were in the same room as the art. 

fish fry drink tickets

as a performer i had seen drink tickets before and have used them. it surprised me a little that i was given two tickets when i went to a fish fry in the evening. i used one of them for a Surly beer and kept the other as a souvenir.  because i had not only a tray of food, and a full cup of beer, i wanted to sit down right away so i didn't spill the beer. it meant sitting near the back of the dining hall, where it was hard to hear the people onstage playing music. the din of the voices was considerable. two checks were printed that i am to hold in the shop for now. one is 'hold for pick-up' and is for payroll. the other is for the manager that likes karaoke, and i might have to send to the team lead instead of her. i was asked to request Saturday delivery for a check to be overnighted, far as i know i hadn't done this before. there was just one box to check, and then i shared the tracking number on the thread. this was part of replacement checks were the boss said they weren't positive paid, from the PDF file. why they weren't, i don't know. there was a visitor in the shop in the morning, but it wasn't for the doorbell. mailroom brought over someone doing HVAC work, and i was given a business card. a red piece of tape was place on a bar on the ceiling, marking where their work is to be done when returning next week. in the evening i went to Hy-Vee in Eagan for groceries, after the fish fry. i did see the cashier that likes to ask about my weekend plans, i spoke of those being a meetup event. 

third check overnighted

 there was an email from a colleague in Milwaukee saying that two checks i had overnighted were received. i was asked about a third one, i said it had printed this morning and i would overnight it as well. i said it is all about when a check gets approved and i don't know who the approvers are. the MICR toner cartridge was delivered around midday, the correct one, and the case was closed. although there were two reasons why i had opened it. but it looks like i am on my own on getting the laser-jet cartridge returned. another work order was put in for the doorbell that doesn't work. i reported it last week and no one had shown up yet, so it was time. when i went into the system to create the newer case, there was feedback requested about the earlier one. i gave negative feedback as it wasn't fixed the first time. i don't know if they were waiting for this acknowledgement when i had responded earlier through the email i was sent when they claim it was fixed. at lunchtime there was some pizza in the breakroom, not a lot left though. i saw two boxes, two slices, i heated up one slice. i sent an instant message to the manager that likes karaoke, asking if any baseball tickets for the upcoming season had been ordered yet. this helped me by being accountable to someone, and in the evening i did order one for a game i had expressed interest in. also in the evening, i drank the can of blue moon with my meal and went to the liquor store and got a can of Budweiser, and miller lite. now there are four beers waiting. 

connections, collections

 i like how i hardly ever have to void a UPS label that I've created. i realized it was a good idea on one where i was asked for a tracking number. when i saw i entered 'collections' and the business name is 'connections' i created another one. i didn't want any questions about it. i am still sending more check samples to someone in i.t. related to the MICR line. i say the same thing each time, please lower it, but it hasn't moved at all. i am doing my part, it is all i can say. i think my boss is quite aware of my frustration about it by now. in the evening i went to the loft literary center, where i am a member, to a member/friend event. i had written a poem the night before so i could read it at this mic. it was about the protest of the immigration agent activity, but a different perspective than what others had. as usual i liked partaking of the food and drink at this event. it was mostly finger foods. there is an exhibit on the main floor of this building, now i need to figure out when i want to make it back to see it. looks like i have at least a month though, most likely to go on a weekend when i have more time to look around. 

homer simpson shirt, green beer

 in the evening i went to a meetup event at a bar. since it was St. Patrick's Day, there was green beer. i did ask if it was going to taste any different, i was told it would not. i said i was fine with green beer then. i changed shirts before i went. there were emails encouraging us to wear green at work, but i knew that the one i decided to wear at the bar wasn't as appropriate for work. it was Homer Simpson with a green beer saying, 'drink duff'. i had hoped to see a friend of mine there, sent a text but it was not to be. i had also hoped that the world baseball classic would be on at the bar, but i saw 'play-in' college basketball games on all TV monitors instead. this was why i went home after just one hour, as i knew i could find the baseball game on my own TV. the Americans played Venezuela in the finals of the classic, a close game but the Americans lost, 3-2. at work, vacation replacement arrived late in the day and asked that some checks for our tax specialist be sent inter-office. mid-morning there was the meeting where some dialed in about the Fargo checks. it was a big enough file, over three thousand, but it didn't error out like before. i went to another floor and got two cookies and a green necklace and the necklace was worn when at the bar in the evening. 

nearby pigeon

 i had hoped to be on the light rail right away after work but there was a delay, mechanical issues we were told. i was chatting with a dude on the platform for a little while. then i saw a pigeon get really close and i was told this had already happened to him. one of the things i spoke of during that time was how it was refreshing when i needed to try on pants at a Walmart less than a year after college ended and i wasn't hassled at all. the response was that sometimes getting older is a good thing. at work there was an all-staff meeting, but i decided to dial in to it as it was mid-morning and i had the big check files to print. i went onto the app to get a case opened to get the correct toner cartridge sent. after a few days of having the laser-jet kind, which i can't use, it was time. it was a day after the snowstorm, sounds like all of my colleagues decided to work from home so i went to another floor to pick up the reject fax. i am dealing with the MICR line issue again, some of the less frequent check files were available. one was fine, i sent the other to someone in i.t. though. the Kansas City file that arrived late was printed in the morning. i let the business line know the prior workday how it was going to wait and yet i still had to repeat myself. when i sent the tracking numbers for the day i did it just once. despite there being three files instead of two, only had to send six tracking numbers. i did point out which ones were from Friday's file. in the evening i went to perform. i did stories about a fish fry, what i saw at the grocery store, the bank, clapping back to a condescending idiot, and seeing a movie. 

taxes and snowstorm

 not much was planned for the day. i stayed in and the snow kept falling as expected. i saw a short video from a fellow comic, a snowplow driver for the state, advising people to stay home. this is the one i call newsboy hat if i am not mistaken. it was a good time to get my income taxes done, i filed them online. i did check and i filed at the same time a year ago, also in mid-March. i like how it is just one small fee to do the federal and state forms with Jackson Hewitt. couple that with direct deposit, the refunds should be arriving in a timely fashion. it sounds like a healthy amount is coming, enough to pay off a credit card balance. the trip to Chicago in January was largely paid for on a credit card. eventually i need to print my own hard copy of the tax return as i like having one for my records. another thing i did was do some shredding of junk mail, hadn't done it in a while. looks like i had last done it over a month ago. a snow emergency was declared, as expected. 

goat movie

just before midday, i went to see the movie 'goat', in Edina at Southdale mall. i moved it up one day as i knew the weather report said a snowstorm was coming soon. i used another birthday offer, at this theater chain it wasn't just a tub of popcorn, but also a big drink. it was self-serve and i chose fruit punch. i managed to last through the movie without needing a bathroom break as i didn't much of the fruit punch during it. i laughed a lot while watching this movie, not just the 'single but loud ha' but also longer laughs. it is not too often that i laugh this much during a movie as i did this time. wiping away a tear? i did that too, during the scene when the song 'don't dream it's over' was played. two versions were in it, this scene had the Bryant Barnes cover, and the Crowded House original is in the closing credits. the movie doesn't cover any new ground but i didn't mind. the story of the underdog that triumphs- it still works for me, and many others as well. one part of the storyline reminded me of 'the natural'. player gets signed, player sits on the bench for a while, player finally goes in when team is out of options. i knew full well that the main character, the goat (despite being told that smalls don't ball) would take the court eventually as it wouldn't be much of a movie if he doesn't. in the morning i got a haircut at great clips, didn't wait long as i made it there in the first hour of their workday. in the early evening i made it to Aldi for groceries. it started to snow before the evening was out, and i got a picture of it. i saw a kiddy car on a sidewalk and one of the wheels was missing, it had fallen off and was nearby. good thing that i checked email before venturing out again. i had planned on seeing a play in the evening, the one where i reserved a free ticket, but it said the rest of the run was canceled, two performances. not just due to the weather but also apparently due to an illness in the cast. guess it means seeing a meetup friend, the retired postal worker, some other time. 

country roads, takeout dinner

 in the evening i went to the Ukraine community center in northeast Minneapolis to pick up my take-out fish fry dinner. while there i found out i could go inside the dining hall if i wish. i said i had other things planned for the evening but was willing to stay long enough to take some pictures. one of them was of the musicians onstage. as i was leaving i heard them say 'we will do this song in English and in Ukrainian'. then i said 'i know this one' as it was John Denver's 'country roads'. i skipped a year on getting a meal at this place as last year the line for dine-in was wrapped around the block, and hour-long wait. i said i had learned my lesson, i was going back to having it as take-out. i had to stop at a gas station first, then it was home, where i ate the meal after heating up some of it. much of it was familiar, the fish, fries, and coleslaw. the other item, pierogi if i am not mistaken, tasted fine as well. then it was on to Hy-Vee in Eagan for my weekly grocery order. i found a snoopy candy bar left over from valentine's day in the magazine section so this was part of my order. at work i was asked to overnight a check to Burnsville, but at first i had to tell them when emailed that the file still needed to be approved. i got it printed once i saw it was approved. the boss did show up to help with sending check samples and was there for just an hour but that was enough time to review most of them. only ones left are files we don't see too often. in the morning i had to deal with the condescending employee at Walgreen again. this time i stopped him right away when i was looking at greeting cards, saying something different. i said i could afford to spend a few extra dollars, and if i needed help i will ask for it. another check i was asked to overnight, from the Cincinnati file, i was told needed to be delivered by Saturday. i said all i can do is to get it in the UPS box by the given pick-up time and then it is up to the courier to pick it up and deliver it. after getting back from the grocery store in the evening, i watched some of the world baseball classic on fox. team USA was playing Canada. when i first tuned in the Americans were leading, 5-1, and went on to win it, 5-3. this sent them to the semifinals. 

printed 9 times

 9 times, the same number of sick days in the movie 'Ferris Bueller'. i was sending check samples to someone in i.t. and this is how often i was told to 'try again' or 're-print it'. the boss saw me say this was 'challenging' when i also wanted to stay ahead on my normal duties and decided the best game plan was to show up the next day. also, due to being stuck on this one check, as we didn't get to many business lines, in terms of changing the signature. the MICR line was off if the signature was too big. some of this was due to not being on the same page, as i understood i was to send samples of each one. but i.t. said just send the ones in need of a fix, scanning it inside of the ruler. payroll picked up a check after i said the previous day that i heard 'sending it inter-office' after the mail tubs were sent to the mailroom for the day. i said i go by what is on the check in the comment section, if it says 'notify' then i do that first. there were three ladies who showed up as i recall, and i only knew one of them. the work order on the doorbell was closed, but it is still not ringing. when i have the time, i will have to tell them to show up during my normal working hours. i saw the email arrived before i had for the day. it is easier to test things when i am there. i had the can of bell's 'fish IPA' with the evening meal, and bought a can of natural ice this week, so there still are three beers waiting. after the day i had i was no doubt ready for a drink by then. 

can't use laser jet

 the deliveries continued to arrive. after the two boxes of UPS envelopes, and the fluid bottle for the inserter machine, there was the toner cartridge this morning. the boss had sent an email saying it had been ordered so i knew it would be arriving soon. except it is the same problem that we've had before, as a laser jet cartridge was sent and we can't use that. we can only use a MICR cartridge for check printing. when i can find the time, i will have to let them know to send the right kind. other than that, the workday was largely uneventful and that was fine with me. mailroom employee found me in the breakroom to let me know the cartridge had arrived, i was lunching. i went back to the shop as it was in front of the door, i put it inside along with returned checks and then returned to lunching. in the evening i did an automated phone payment on my main credit card. i like knowing i have one less bill this month as the other credit card was paid off last month. the other card was used to pay a big car repair bill and i like how most months my main card is only used when needing to get gas for the car. naturally, i am still looking forward to this summer when the final car loan payment will be sent to the credit union. 

signage good enough?

 there was activity on two work orders. i entered a new one, it was due to the check shop doorbell not working. it was reported by the tax specialist. the other was acknowledgement of an earlier one, saying my request to put up a sign was canceled. i am told that the signage is already good enough to point out where the mailroom is, even though i still end up giving directions there to lost people. payroll manager said that envelopes were coming soon, except i haven't seen their file of paystubs for a few days. i am not complaining about that though, as i still have plenty of other things keeping me busy. i noticed a check file wasn't printing on one printer but it printed on another. since the boss was in the shop for the day, i hear the typical thing: call in a ticket. then eventually it did print. sometimes this happens when there is a delay of at least ten minutes on printing after hitting 'print', sometimes even longer than that such as nearly an hour. it had been a while so i guess i forgot this could still happen. it was a small file, the PDF checks, so it was just 40 checks that were duplicated that i had to shred. it was why i was willing to try again on a different printer as it doesn't matter as much when the file is small. 

same high school mascot

 there are many days when the tax specialist will pick up checks in person, and this was one of them. there was two, one from the PDF file and the other was from vacation replacement. i saw this dude in the breakroom after the checks were picked up, as i was there to get some water. i found out we may have went to different high schools, but we had the same mascot, the cardinals. i did seem to get an answer, although i wasn't asking why i was seeing him there. something about being disappointed for not getting a raise from the bank this year and hearing that two colleagues will be laid off at the end of the month. i said i got a small raise for the year, and i know full well to try to keep costs down. this is a colleague that will be moving to the other tower soon, as i recall it will be at the end of the month. i showed vacation replacement the greeting card i bought from a convenience store in the skyway late last week. it was a st. Patrick's day card with a 'wizard of oz' theme. mailroom brought the checks i had ordered for my personal checking account. i was expecting it to go to the branch at the skyway level but not complaining that it was sent directly to me. i kept both items at work as i prefer to wait to take them home until i have a bag that those can go into. when i take the light rail to and from work, i am used to having the lunch bag as it is easy to grab when i need to go. and anything else if not in a bag might get left on the seat next to me. there is a luncheon invite for next week sent by the boss; it was the sandwich place that i spoke of. in the evening i went to perform. i did stories about the bank, seeing two movies, the baseball game, stickers on a car, and birthday offers from loyalty programs. 

lalaland movie

 in the mid-afternoon i went to see a movie in Eagan as part of the 'flashback cinema' series. it was 'Lalaland'. unsure why i passed it nearly ten years ago, most likely because there can be too many movies to choose from. it was a good story, but bittersweet, nonetheless. there was an intro given before it began, with plenty of background information about the movie. not too familiar with the actors in it, but J.K. Simmons had a small role in it. i was emailed a birthday offer from this theater chain, and i claimed it after the movie. this was the small tub of popcorn for free, but still plenty of popcorn. i ate some of it there but not a lot, most of it was taken home. i wanted to see the previews and i arrived just before the scheduled starting time. one of these previews was for the biopic about musician Michael Jackson. i picked up a poster for the movie 'goat' while there but haven't seen it yet. more likely to see it a week later when i have fewer things booked. i had enough time to get some ice cream at the nearby dairy queen, i got the blizzard of the month, mint Oreo. in the morning i went to do laundry and i used a birthday offer at the nearby caribou coffee. i didn't do much after the movie, i drove home and had the evening meal at home. besides laundry, i did do the customary morning walk and found more food near a dumpster. i claimed nine items this time, including a big box of cheerios cereal and two jars of peanut butter. it was unexpired, and unopened, and non-perishable, so why not? most of it will be eaten fairly quickly, probably won't be much left a week from now. 

squeeze play, ftw

 in the evening i went to another gopher baseball game, indoors at the Vikings stadium. this was part of the Cambria classic, and i briefly sat in an oversized wooden chair provided by the event's sponsor. gophers won, 3-2, over South Dakota State, in ten innings. a squeeze play was used to win it, and this is rare. i was smarter this time in more ways than one. i gave myself more time and ate at the Bobby and Steve's nearby where the food is cheaper than at the venue. and they serve small godfather's pizzas, i got the last one found under the heat lamps, 3-meat. the upper-level seating was blocked off so some of it was eaten in my car, which was parked nearby, along with a donut. the parking was cheap and i liked that. naturally, some things were moved up due to the event in the evening. in the afternoon i went to Aldi for groceries. for lunch i went to Ikea and had the Swedish meatball meal. not immediately aware of any birthday offers from them but still a good place to eat. when i saw dessert items while in line i said i am choosing the cheesecake as i know what that is. the other item was oatmeal balls, not familiar with those. after getting back from there i went to a micro-brewery and picked up a pack of girl scout cookies. i ordered a beer as well. i was there to see the girls walk around the place and say it was the last call for cookies as i arrived during the final hour of the three-hour time allotment. it is the second box or pack bought, two different kinds of peanut butter. still a question of when those will be eaten as i am still working on the Hershey's kisses bought the day after Valentine's Day. it was a big bag. in the morning i went to the post office, but there were no orders to pick up. birthday wishes are rolling in on Facebook. first one was from a classmate that is now an instructor in the Carolinas. i usually give it a few days before i say thank you to all of the postings. 

soylent green movie

 in the evening i went to see the movie 'Soylent Green', at the trylon. this was part of their 'bad company' series and i already have a ticket for another movie in this series. we were given what looked like a timecard when i claimed my ticket from being an advance purchase. it is a punch card but i don't plan on seeing enough movies to meet the standard of the prizes offered, such as popcorn for seeing four of them. this was a good movie though, thankful i saw it as i do recall a comic once did a set that name-checked this movie. i was expecting it to be 'melancholy' as it is a 'dystopian' movie, but it was actually funny at times. it helps that the main character, Charlton Heston playing a cop, was punching people, making out with the 'furniture', and stealing luxuries that once were common items such as a cake of soap. i also liked seeing Dick Van Patten as a 'death parlor attendant', although in the credits he's listed as 'usher number one'. later on, when i looked for the trailer on YouTube, i found a clip from 'the Simpsons' which is a parody of that scene. it was lost on me as i hadn't seen the movie yet. also liked chatting with a dude in the front row before the movie who was wearing a cub foods shirt, who said he'd be going to see another movie, in Columbia Heights, that same night. not a lot of down time, less than an hour, especially when needing to drive over there. for the evening meal i went to have a fish sandwich at McDonald's. after the movie i went home and watched 'Boston Blue'. i changed the logistics a little this week due to the movie, having moved up my trip to Hy-Vee one day. at work, the boss asked me to print some test checks from a link in an email. there was three, all fit in the MICR ruler. a colleague asked me to pull a check, had to ask why as it was in a morning PDF file. eventually i was told it was due to being already paid by another method. i saw to it that others were notified by the team lead being copied on the thread. a check copy request was familiar, i found out i had already sent it two days prior. there was an email from the CEO, Employee Appreciation Day. not sure if there was any award such as points, though. i got an 'Ace Ventura' meme from vacation replacement as my birthday is soon. there was also an 'all-call' email about what was in the 'digital mailroom', it was to all on our team. three items scanned there, i left it as it wasn't a check and didn't know what to do with it. 

carwash letter

 the mailroom sent me a FedEx envelope that had been opened and re-taped, not sure why. i got a look at it and it was a letter from a carwash company about terminating a contract. there was one bank employee listed, according to the directory it was in Arizona. i don't know why i ended up with it. i did send a scan to this dude and the response, after some others were copied, was to send it inter-office to someone in the same building as me, but a higher floor than me. a colleague from payroll arrived to pick up checks, but this time was physically in the shop, likely let in by the boss. i said there was just three that had been printed and ready for pick-up. i was told there might be more, but all a matter of when they are approved. sounds like i am being asked to send the others by inter-office, though. this was also popcorn day, in the skyway. this served as a good reminder of 'get while the getting is good'. i didn't go right when the time allotment started, which is an hour and a half, as i wanted to be caught up on my normal duties first. but i am thankful i went when i did. there was a brief wait for popcorn, and i know this doesn't happen every time. not long after i got a bag, i was hearing the machine had broken down and security was told to 'close up shop'. this meant any others were turned away. i was still there when it happened but nearly finished with eating the popcorn that i had. 

headphones icon

 the first sighting of a 'headphones icon' was this morning when trying to log on. i don't know why it is there as i didn't need it at all. and when it popped up it blocked me from being able to log into the check-printing system that i use. for this reason, i minimized it and then eventually hit 'close window' and it went away. vacation replacement was in the shop around midday and i said there were returned checks and a refund check to pick up. those were placed on another table and i was told they would be picked up after going to get lunch, except by the end of the day they remained. if they stay there long enough i will have to move them myself to another floor where they belong. the envelope order arrived in the morning, but not all of it. i let the supplier know and eventually the boss was copied on it. we have enough to cover our needs for a while so we can afford to wait a little bit to hear some more. about half of this month's order had arrived. this was just before the check stock order arrived, which we did get in full. as usual it meant the courier needed to make two trips due to volume. 

payee name change, then overnight

 i see all kinds of things when working with checks all day. in this case, i was asked to overnight seven checks by UPS. one had already been printed, and i had the label, just had to wait for the other six. and i found out these were the ones i had recently been told to shred because the payee name was not correct. once i had all seven i got them ready and got them in the box and said when the daily pick-up is. a senior leader had a dial-in meeting, i have joked that at times i have to remind myself that she's here as she's up high enough on the ladder that i don't hear from her that much. there was mention of how my role is likely changing later in the year, and the boss had spoken about this already. in the morning i let the boss know i was fine with a sandwich place i haven't been to in the skyway for an upcoming luncheon. i also had a check intercept request but they kept getting my name wrong, even though my name is clearly stated in my email signature. i let them know what the correct name is. 

prints by mistake

 no, not me, at least not in this case. every so often now, i am seeing prints showing up on the check printer that are sent there by mistake. i don't know who is sending them but i know more printers are showing up as available than before. what i have been doing is keeping that check printer empty so it doesn't automatically print. then when i know it isn't one of mine, from checking the message board, i cancel the job. it has been some weird things like meeting agendas, or even what looked like children's homework. since we just passed the first of the month, i started on the online classes i was assigned back in January. no need to do them too early when we get three months to do them. i figured starting them with just under a month ago is early enough. i did one class and there are four due soon, and i tend to do one per day in the morning until i am finished. i spoke of the weekend to the manager that likes karaoke, as it included not just the baseball game but also hearing from a college roommate. i said 'it has been a minute' since we've had an in-person visit, and i was advised to try doing another one again sometime soon. now i just have to figure out when is a good time. i wanted to do one when i was coming back from Dubuque in November but the logistics didn't work then. 

kid from cleveland movie

 in the morning i watched a DVD movie, a recent purchase from amazon, 'kid from Cleveland'. it was mentioned in a Facebook posting and i hadn't heard of this baseball movie before. i liked how it had plenty of players appearing as themselves, as this was about the 1948 Cleveland Indians winning the world series. and since i am a St. Paul Saints fan, once co-owned by Mike Veeck, i liked how Bill Veeck, the dad, also appears as himself. one scene in particular stood out to me, where the man challenged his wife in court during a custody hearing, saying 'you never gave me a chance'. as she remarried after becoming a widow, and it sounded like she wanted him around for the wrong reasons. around midday i was on the road, wanting to get to a college baseball game. the Minnesota gophers were playing Kansas, indoors at the Vikings stadium. it was the last of a four-game series. i rode the light rail there and when i was waiting for the train i had a young man with a face covering telling me how there were arrests this morning. this was due to the recent immigration agent activity. it started out with a greeting i didn't recognize, then the dude tried again and said, 'what's up?' and i know that one, most people do. the game was a pitcher's duel for a while, which i liked. but then Kansas went ahead, 4-3, and scored four more runs in the ninth and went on to win, 8-3. not much of a crowd as expected, as college baseball doesn't interest most people, at least in the Midwest. i estimated the crowd as two hundred, three hundred tops. i liked hearing plenty of music being played at the game, including 'Mr. Jones' by counting crows, and 'fortunate son' by CCR. i wasn't home for long after the game. i went to perform in the evening, closing the show as usual with this mic. i did stories about the bank, a movie i had just seen, going out of town, the mascot at the game, and who i see at the grocery store. 

i can only imagine (2)

 in the afternoon i went to see a movie, 'i can only imagine' (2), at the theater in St. Paul, highland park. i think i was the only attendee at this screening. good story, i recognized two of the actors in it, Trace Adkins and Dennis Quaid. i didn't like the opening act at first, because he liked to prank people. a big part of the story was the teenage son of the frontman being on the tour bus and then performing in the tour. i am used to a movie 'based on a true story' having 'some scenes and characters are invented for dramatic effect'. in fact, this one had a disclaimer in the credits saying, 'this is not a documentary'. i liked hearing the story behind the hymn 'it is well with my soul', how the 1871 Chicago fire was a part of it. while there, i heard a song i knew and like, crowded house's 'don't dream it's over'. it was part of the closing credits for the other movie currently showing at this theater, 'goat'. is that enough for me to go see it? i don't know. i know it is about basketball, though. in the morning i picked up an amazon order from the PO box. and there was another parcel, but i opened it and nothing was in what looked like a rolled-up piece of carpet or insulation. it looked like it was from the seller of the e-bay order that i had picked up a week earlier. then i went to Jersey Mike's for lunch. while paying for my sandwich, i made a donation to Special Olympics. it was a dollar and my cookie was free. i did say i am already signed up for a volunteer shift at this summer's event. in the evening there is a meetup event to attend at a micro-brewery. 

what is a commonwealth

 near the end of the day, there was a request from the tax specialist to have same-day courier pick-up on those tax checks. except those checks are not available until the afternoon, and the courier didn't have enough time to get it done. the one deemed most important is for 'the commonwealth of Kentucky'. it reminded me of how i had meant to look this up before, why some states refer to themselves as a 'commonwealth'. there are just four. i googled it and no surprise, it was related to British law, referring to the 'common good'. something about how all of them have that word in their constitution. in the morning there was a check from the travel and expense file to the manager that likes karaoke. she was in a meeting at the time, so in a conference room on a 'dial-in'. she kept saying 'thank you'. i said i did notice in the email thread there was mention of it being a replacement check. near the end of the day, i asked for a tracking number on a check i had overnighted. nothing unusual there, except another department or shared box had asked for the same one just three days prior. i even showed them the proof of the 'duplication of efforts'. it was sent to San Diego. the change of signature happened on the checks, but when i put some into our ruler i noticed one of them was off, the signature was too big. the boss wanted a list of goals sent in the morning, it didn't take long. it was the last day, and the boss was doing just a half day. i was asked to find an ACH statement as well, a copy of a transaction from over two years ago. the request was from payroll. in the evening i went to a fish fry, it was the Lebanese church in Mendota heights. i like their fish fry, plenty of rice with the fish. then i went to Hy-Vee in Eagan for groceries. an employee that has been my cashier before greeted me upon arrival and asked me about my weekend plans. this is someone that i hadn't seen in a while, a few months.